And finally…British comedian tells 9000 Americans to forget their debt

British comedian John Oliver has bought, and then immediately forgiven, the $15 million medical debts of 9,000 people live on his American television programme.

Mr Oliver, on his “Last Week Tonight” programme on Sunday, took the action to illustrate a story about the conduct of companies that purchase the records of debtors and attempt to collect on them using unethical practices.

The show set up its own company to acquire $15 million worth of debt owed to hospitals in Texas for $60,000.

To make the trade, Oliver’s programme created a company called Central Asset Recovery Professionals which it then incorporated in the American state of Mississippi.

The stunt was carried out to illustrate how institutions often sell their debt for pennies on the dollar to companies operating with little regulation who then attempt to collect on the bills using abusive and intimidating methods.

The HBO programme said that it had found the process of acquiring the debt “disturbingly easy”.

RIPMedicaldebt.org, a nonprofit that raises money to buy debt and forgive the bills owed by people who can least afford to pay them, welcomed the attention.

“It’s absolutely fabulous,” said Craig Antico, CEO of RIPMedicaldebt.org. “It puts a light on a problem that few people know exists.”

Mr Oliver claimed the gesture eclipsed the $8 million giveaway by talk-show host Oprah Winfrey when she gave a car to each member of her studio audience one day, making it the biggest ever.

“Are you ready to make television history?” Oliver said. “Let’s do this!”