The search results for Eric Mays net worth lead users to find highly contradictory information which exists throughout the internet. Some websites claim the late Flint City Councilman had a net worth of $100 million from business ventures and investments. The actual information reveals a more uplifting reality and actual facts about his wealth than any fabricated stories about his financial status.
Eric Bradford Mays who passed away on February 24 2024 at age 65 did not work as a millionaire businessman. His community received from him a far greater asset than material possessions because he dedicated his life to defend the rights of Flint Michigan residents who needed protection against corrupt authority.
The Truth About Eric Mays Net Worth
Let’s address the misinformation directly. Eric Mays had a net worth that amounted to 100 million dollars. The evidence shows that he maintained a simple way of life. In 2017, Mays admitted to pawning his city-issued laptop for just $100, stating plainly: “I don’t think it’s criminal, I think it just shows I’m poor.”
The Flint City Council paid Mays approximately $24000 each year which represents the standard part-time wage that Michigan city councils provide to their members. His main income sources remained his General Motors pension plus his primary job at General Motors. The primary income sources for him included these two sources because he did not have multi-million dollar investments or business empires that websites mistakenly identified as his main income sources.
Eric Mays created his entire value system based on his financial assets instead of actual bank account balances. His actual worth consisted of the confidence and admiration which he achieved from his constituents who chose him three times to serve as their Flint First Ward representative..
Early Life and Education
Eric Bradford Mays was born on September 16, 1958, in Flint, Michigan. He grew up in a working-class family and attended Flint Northern High School, graduating in 1976. He continued his education by earning a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University because he wanted to achieve his educational goals despite facing financial difficulties.
Mays began his professional career at General Motors, where he worked for many years as an auto worker. At GM, he dedicated himself to the United Auto Workers union because he fought for improved working conditions and equitable treatment of employees. His initial public service experience, which he encountered through this public service work, provided him with direct knowledge about the problems that working-class families in Flint encounter.
The Path to Politics
Eric Mays’ journey into politics didn’t happen overnight. In 1981, while still working at General Motors, he began attending Flint City Council meetings as a political action representative for the NAACP. For years, he showed up to advocate for community concerns, learning the system from the ground up.
Mays succeeded in becoming a member of the Flint City Council after three failed attempts when he won his election in November 2013 to defeat Anita Brown by eight votes (710-702). He represented the First Ward, which encompasses northwest Flint and has a population that is 91% Black. The narrow victory demonstrated that his advocacy work held great significance to his neighbors.
The Flint Water Crisis: Mays’ Defining Moment
Eric Mays’ most significant contribution to his community came during the Flint water crisis. Mays was among the first elected officials to understand that the city had switched its water supply from Detroit to the Flint River because something had gone wrong on April 2014. Mays demanded action because the other officials dismissed residents’ complaints about the water which had discolored and developed a foul odor.
He maintained his demand for investigations into the toxic water supply despite facing opposition from state-appointed emergency managers and other council members. His strong public support for the crisis brought national media attention to the situation which ultimately discovered that thousands of Flint residents, especially children suffered from dangerous lead contamination.
Civil rights activist Sam Riddle, a longtime friend, noted that “Eric Mays raised hell and irritated people, but his behavior moved leadership and mis-leadership up the ladder of consciousness one rung at a time.”
Career Income Sources
Understanding Eric Mays’ actual income helps separate fact from fiction:
City Council Salary
As a Flint City Council member, Mays earned approximately $24,000 per year. This part-time position required significant time commitment but didn’t provide substantial financial compensation. For comparison, Flint’s mayor earned $125,000 annually.
General Motors Retirement Benefits
Having worked at General Motors for many years, Mays received retirement benefits from the company. These benefits, combined with his council salary, formed the foundation of his modest income.
No Secret Business Empire
Contrary to online claims, there’s no evidence that Mays owned successful businesses in real estate, technology, or media. His financial disclosure as a public official would have revealed such holdings. The $100 million net worth figure appears to be entirely fabricated.
Rise to Internet Celebrity Status
While Eric Mays may not have been financially wealthy, he became incredibly rich in a different way: internet fame. In the early 2020s, videos of Mays’ passionate and unfiltered exchanges during Flint City Council meetings went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms.
His fiery personality, quick wit, and refusal to back down made him a sensation. He gained over 220,000 followers on TikTok, with his catchphrase “Point of Order!” becoming widely recognized. Compilation videos of his most memorable moments regularly garnered millions of views.
Some of his most viral moments included:
- The Clown Outfit Incident: Mays brought clown attire to a council meeting and told disruptive attendees, “If you want to laugh, here go a clown outfit for you. Cause when you clown, I’m going to double clown.”
- The “Gaslighting” Exchange: When a fellow council member accused him of gaslighting, Mays responded, “When you dog me out and interrupt me and tell me I’m a gaslighter, I’m thinking that’s some type of arsonist.”
- The TikTok Performer Accusation: When accused of being a “TikTok performer,” Mays stood his ground, with one video receiving over 1 million likes on TikTok.
His celebrity status grew so much that he appeared on “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show,” where he danced and showed his fun-loving side. Even celebrities like Nick Cannon shared videos of his council meeting moments, introducing Mays to millions more viewers.
The internet loved Eric Mays because he represented something rare in politics: authenticity. He wasn’t polished or rehearsed. He was a real person fighting real battles for his community, and people recognized that immediately.
A Controversial Figure
Eric Mays’ tenure on the council wasn’t without controversy. His confrontational style led to multiple incidents:
- In 2015, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after refusing to leave a council meeting.
- In 2020, he was removed from his position as Vice President of the City Council and Chair of the Finance Committee after giving a Nazi salute to Council President Monica Galloway.
- In 2022, he was again arrested for disorderly conduct and was sentenced to six months probation in March 2023.
- In December 2023, he was suspended from the council for 90 days for making “constant frivolous motions” and using what other council members termed “racist rhetoric.”
Yet despite, or perhaps because of, his controversial methods, Mays’ constituents continued to support him. They saw someone willing to fight, even if his approach wasn’t always diplomatic.
Personal Life
Eric Mays kept much of his personal life private. He had a son, Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays. Some websites incorrectly claim he was married to someone named Megan Ritchie with three children, but there’s no verified evidence supporting these claims.
What is clear is that Mays dedicated much of his life to public service. His commitment to Flint overshadowed any pursuit of personal wealth or conventional success.
Death and Legacy
Eric Mays died on February 24, 2024, from natural causes following an illness. He reached the age of 65 at the time of his death. His death created a national wave of sadness which turned into tributes from people who had seen him in viral videos.
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley, with whom Mays often clashed, called his death “a tremendous loss for our community.” Congressman Dan Kildee, a high school classmate, noted that “Councilman Mays loved serving Flint on the City Council, and his constituents continuously re-elected him because of his bold and unwavering voice.”
After Mays died his family encountered difficulties because he passed away without creating a will. His son initiated a legal battle over the funeral expenses and a city life insurance policy worth $75,000 which they later resolved. The legal battles between the parties showed that Eric Mays had financial problems because he did not possess substantial wealth.
Why the Misinformation?
The websites which assert that Eric Mays had a 100 million dollar net worth base their claims on evidence that actually contradicts their statements. Content creators today create false information about public figures to generate search traffic which brings them advertising income. They create elaborate backstories about wealth, business ventures, and luxury lifestyles that simply don’t exist.
People produced false information about Mays because he became famous on the internet. Content creators who recognized his popularity developed fictional narratives about his hidden commercial enterprises and enormous fortune to take advantage of search engine traffic.
The Real Value of Eric Mays
While Eric Mays net worth in dollars was modest, his true value to Flint was immeasurable. He:
- Spoke up early about the water crisis when it could have cost him politically
- Gave a voice to underrepresented residents in Flint’s poorest neighborhoods
- Brought national attention to local government issues through his viral presence
- Demonstrated that ordinary citizens can make extraordinary differences in their communities
- Showed that authenticity and passion matter more than polish and perfection
The measurement of his legacy exists beyond financial assessment because it requires evaluation of all lives he affected and all problems he addressed and all people he motivated to defend their communities.
Conclusion
Eric Mays’ actual net worth reached less than $100 million. He was not a secret business mogul who operated his enterprises from behind closed doors. He worked as a retired auto worker who made approximately $24,000 annually from his position as a city councilman while receiving General Motors pension benefits. He sold his laptop to a pawn shop for $100 because he needed cash during financial difficulties.
Eric Mays possessed true wealth because he owned the fundamental values of life which people find most important. He possessed multiple forms of wealth which included bravery and strong beliefs and the attachment and admiration of those whom he dedicated himself to protect. His videos which became popular worldwide brought happiness to many people while they highlighted serious problems that Flint Michigan faced.
The story shows that people value money less than their worth. The most important legacy someone can leave behind exists in their decision to defend justice through their actions and their determination to confront authority and their refusal to back down from any battle needed to protect their community.