Man who enjoys daily burgers has 35,000th Big Mac since 1972 - “Where did the time go?”

A Wisconsin man who holds the record for most Big MacⓇ burgers eaten in a lifetime has now consumed more than 35,000 since 1972 – and his advice to future record-breakers? “Don’t.”

Donald Gorske, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA, chowed down on his 35,000th patty on 15 March, almost 53 years after he started tallying his daily burger obsession. He says he eats two a day, one for lunch and one for dinner.

It all started on 17 May 1972, when Donald bought his first car. He was eating nine Big MacsⓇ a day at the time, and after tossing three used burger cartons in the backseat, he knew that was the only food he wanted to eat for the rest of his life.

“It’s the best sandwich in the world!” said Donald, talking about the classic two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.

"What makes me a Big MacⓇ enthusiast is the hamburger. I knew I wanted to eat my favourite food, hamburger, every day,” he said. “The main reason I stayed with this pursuit for so many years is that Big MacsⓇ are still my favourite food and I look forward to eating them every day."

Donald saved those original three cartons, and started what would become a massive collection of McDonald’s memorabilia (McMemorabilia?) that spills over the shelves of a room in his house. He said he was inspired by a 1970 book edition of Guinness World Records, and knew the one record he could definitely take was eating a hamburger everyday. Now, it’s one of the longest continuous records ever.

“This was never a record for one day just to get into the record book, but rather an every day record, day after day,” he said. “And now after more than 50 years of eating the same meal every day, I ask myself, ‘Where did the time go?’”

Donald has saved every single carton and receipt from the burgers he bought, which he has organized neatly in itemized boxes and bags, and keeps a calendar on the wall with his patty tally per day.

“I probably will be eating Big MacsⓇ every day for the rest of my life,” he joked. “And when I go out, my boys can write down which Big MacⓇ was the last one I ate, and they can tell people ‘this is how many Big MacsⓇ will kill you!’”

Despite his diet, Donald’s wife Mary (who he proposed to at a McDonald’s) testified that his health is actually good, and routine visits to his doctor reveal his blood sugar and cholesterol are normal. The loving grandfather is now conscientious about his Big MacⓇ intake (typically skipping the fries!) and takes six mile-long walks daily throughout his neighbourhood to stay active.

"The advice I’d give someone who would like to challenge my record title is 'don’t',” Donald joked.

“I’ll be dead before you could even challenge it. I’m blessed with a high metabolism and good health which allow me to eat Big MacsⓇ without gaining a lot of weight,” he said. “I might be the only person alive who could eat Big MacsⓇ every day without ill effects."

And the biggest lesson Donald has learned throughout his years of collecting is to store extra BigMacsⓇ in the freezer, in case his McDonald’s access gets restricted in a blizzard. He also now visits his local franchise twice a week to stock up on burgers instead of going everyday, to save on gas. Unsurprisingly, he is a regular face for the employees.

“We call him part of the McFamily,” says Dave Rause, franchise owner of Donald’s McDonald’s. “He’s a humble servant with a great appetite for a great sandwich.”

Donald has tried two other burgers besides the Big MacⓇ before – “one Burger King WhopperⓇ in 1984 and one Topper double burger in 1984” – but says no other sandwich can take the crown. “There are a lot of other burger chains that I have never had the desire to try,” he said.

He says people commonly ask him what he’ll do if the brand stops making the iconic sandwich, but he’s not worried – with all the money he’s given the franchise over the years, he hopes the cooks will keep making them for him.

"Did I ever think of having my last Big MacⓇ?” he joked. “Yes, when I’m on my deathbed and my son gets a Big MacⓇ for me as one for the road.”