One man, 39 years, 25,000 Big Macs.
That’s right. Meet Don Gorske — the self proclaimed “Mac Daddy,” and lover of all things under a seeded bun.
Today, Gorske, 57, is set to eat his 25,000th McDonald’s Big Mac — 39 years to the day since he first tasted the iconic burger.
In fact, the Wisconsin man can time it down to the minute when he drove his father’s Dodge Polara to his local Mickey D’s to try the high calorie sandwich with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and two patties on a sesame seed bun (it was 3 p.m. May 17, 1972). He even adjusted his standard two-burger-a-day regimen to be sure he hit the milestone on his Big Mac anniversary.
“A person like me, I just don’t change too much,” Gorske said. “It’s pretty much two Big Macs a day. When I can travel to sporting events, I like to take my Big Mac along.”
Gorske goes to extreme measure to ensure he has his daily dose of burger. When he travels, he keeps Big Macs in his suitcases in case there isn’t a McDonald’s nearby. His freezer has an on-hand supply of frozen sandwiches just in case.
Today, Gorske is not only celebrating his monumental dietary achievement. He’s also celebrating his retirement from the Waupun correctional Institution in Waupun, Wis. where he spent 25 years as a scheduling officer.
Surrounded by family, friends, World Record judges, and the media, Gorske will enjoy is record breaking burger. On display at the celebration will be Gorske’s lifetime of receipts, 10,000 Big Mac cartons, and calendars documenting his obsession — items he usually keeps in a fireproof lock box for safekeeping.
In 2008, Guinness Book of World Records confirmed Gorske as having consumed the most Big Macs ever. At that time, a measly 23,000.
And surprisingly, the habit hasn’t taken a toll on his health. According to the Daily Mail, on April 26 of this year, Gorske went to the doctor and was given a clean bill of health. His cholesterol level was 156 mg/dL — anything under 200 is desirable.
Perhaps it is no surprise, but Gorske suffers from less than perfect taste buds. Often, he can’t taste the burger he’s eating. Ever since childhood, his taste buds have fluctuated in sensitivity — possibly worsening when he worked inside tanks at a factory.
But not being able to taste the burger has not dampened his love of the fast food staple.
Gorske became famous when he appeared in Morgan Spurlock‘s Super Size Me in 2004. In 2005, he starred in his own documentary Don Gorske: Mac Daddy. In 2008, he published his book, ‘22,477 Big Macs.’
Here’s Gorske’s clip from the 2004 documentary, Super Size Me
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