23.10.2026 10:21
96-year-old Lillian Droniak, who lives in the US state of Connecticut, covers her monthly $12,000 nursing home fee with money she earns from social media advertising deals. Droniak had gone viral after she recounted that she was threatened with being removed from the nursing home for throwing a party.
According to BBC News, 96-year-old Lillian Droniak, who lives in the US state of Connecticut, has reached 15 million followers on social media. Known among her followers as "Grandma Droniak," the elderly woman pays her $12,000 (about £9,000) monthly nursing home fee herself with the money she earns from advertising deals with brands.
Droniak went viral in June when she said the nursing home where she lives threatened to evict her for throwing a party. The nursing home later confirmed the threat but reached an agreement with Droniak. Under the agreement, Droniak can continue hosting parties, but she will not serve alcoholic drinks.
Droniak, who started making videos in 2020 with the help of her bored grandson, said, "I always knew I would be famous, I just didn't think it would be in my 90s." Her grandson organizes sponsored content with food and beauty brands; the earnings go toward nursing home expenses as well as college savings for her grandchildren's children.
Droniak says she shows young people that getting old is not bad: "They think old people sit and stare at the wall. I show that getting old isn't so bad. I still have fun, party, and go out sometimes." Recognized by fans on the street, Droniak notes that the situation is different at the nursing home, where people do not use TikTok and therefore do not understand that she is famous.
Droniak is not the only elderly woman attracting attention on social media. 82-year-old Viv Truran, who lives in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has reached more than 800,000 followers on the account where she shares her colorful outfits. 85-year-old Grace Geramita, who emigrated from Italy to the US at the age of 18, has gathered millions of followers with the cooking videos she shares under the name "Nonna Gracie," and she says she now earns more than she did from any job she has ever done before.
Marketing experts say older content creators have become favorites among brands because they have loyal audiences with high purchasing power. According to the experts, these "virtual grandmothers" give their followers peace in an uncertain world.
Source: BBC