When you buy something through one of the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Don Gorske, a 70-year-old retired prison officer from Wisconsin, did, and he has lived to tell the tale. The former Officer defied expectations and extended his Guinness World Record for the most Big Macs eaten in a lifetime. As of 2024, Gorske has consumed a staggering 34128 Big Macs, solidifying his place as the undisputed “Big Mac King.”
Gorske’s love affair with the burger began in 1972, the year he took his first bite and declared, “I’m going to probably eat these for the rest of my life.” True to his word, Gorske tracked his Big Mac consumption, keeping the burger boxes, and receipts in the backseat of his car.
Gorske told Business Insider: “Many people thought I’d be dead by now, but instead, I’ve been a record holder for my 24th year — one of Guinness World Records’ longer-running record holders, so that’s pretty cool to me.”
When he started his Big Mac love affair, he was consuming a staggering 9 Big Macs per day, but he’s since whittled his consumption down to “just” 2 Macs a day.
How does he do it? Gorske says he maintains an active lifestyle, reportedly walking six miles daily and avoids other unhealthy habits like excessive French fries. In fact, he won’t even eat French fries. He buys his Big Macs in bulk, visiting McDonald’s twice a week, and then microwaves the burgers at home when a craving hits.
According to Gorske, he sticks with Big Macs for the bulk of his diet, but he’ll also mix in ice cream, a fruit bar, or potato chips for snacks. A pretty well-balanced food diet, eh?
He admits, his Big Mac journey has had a few bumps along the way. He faced heat from doctors, family, and even inmates who verbally abused him during his time as a prison guard but Gorske remained unfazed, driven by his love for the Big Mac and his pursuit of a unique world record.
As Gorske himself says, “I plan on eating Big Macs until I die.” Whether he reaches that goal or not, his record, and passion for the Big Mac are sure to be a part of fast-food lore for years to come.
