By Kelly Williams

Copyright dailystar

She never imagined her future would be built on other people’s rubbish . Maggie McGaugh, 30, from Fort Worth, Texas, has become one of TikTok ’s most unlikely stars by making a fortune out of discarded furniture, junk left on the curb sides, and even the occasional luxury item tossed out with the trash . With 1.9 million followers and more than 45 million likes, Maggie is now earning a round six figures a year . She spends her days digging through garbage and transforming her finds into treasures. “I had never picked up a paintbrush, never used a power tool, never proudly gone shopping in someone else’s garbage,” she says. “I didn’t even consider myself to be creative. Then in 2020, I was desperate for an outlet that could also make me money. On a whim, I painted a table someone had left on the curb. That moment changed everything.” Since then, her life has become a whirlwind of viral videos, brand deals worth as much as £14,800 ($20,000) for a single reel, and big-money opportunities, all born out of what others had thrown away. One of her most popular TikToks shows the shocking haul she managed to pick up in just two hours of driving through wealthy neighbourhoods on trash day. “Here’s what rich people throw away,” she told her viewers, holding up her finds with disbelief. First she pulled over for what looked like an ordinary wreath. “Turns out it was a £180 ($230) lemon wreath!” she laughed. Next came a £62 ($80) Ficus Ruby tree, still lush and green on top, which she scooped up without hesitation. Then there was a cubby, a pink desk she called ‘pretty enough to sell instantly,’ and a bench she cleaned up in five minutes and flipped for £20 ($25). She listed the desk at £58 ($75) and pocketed a cool £78 ($100) profit with almost no effort. “It’s a total win-win. I made money, I get gorgeous pieces for free, and I monetise the videos too — so that profit just goes even higher.” She says she found $600 (£470) of trash in an upmarket suburb in just two hours that day. Her no-nonsense honesty about the process has struck a chord with millions online. She admits her flips are often trial and error, some ending in disaster, but she shares the whole journey. “I’ve learned to make hideous furniture look expensive,” Maggie explained. “I’ve bought an abandoned home, launched courses to teach others, partnered with brands, and honestly — it’s all from trial and error. Lots of error.” That candidness has become her trademark. Unlike other glossy influencers, Maggie is refreshingly unfiltered. She laughs about the time she “accidentally booked a happy endings massage,” talks openly about her ADHD, and reassures fans that she doesn’t always get things right. “Hey, I’m Maggie. I dig in the trash for furniture. I bought an abandoned house. I have major ADHD. And I’m happy you’re here!” she introduces herself in one clip, instantly disarming her audience. Behind the humour lies a serious businesswoman. Through TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and her Amazon Influencer page, Maggie has turned a quirky hobby into a flourishing empire. She shares product recommendations, and teaches followers how to flip furniture themselves, for those eager to copy her success. It’s an empire built on paint splatters, sandpaper, and countless hours of dragging discarded items home, but one that now supports a six-figure income. “I started out just hoping to make a little side money,” she said. “Now I’m running a business I love. The fact that it came from someone else’s garbage makes it even better.” For her followers, Maggie’s appeal is simple: she’s proof that you don’t need to be rich, skilled, or perfect to change your life. In an age when throwaway culture dominates, she’s literally turned trash into treasure. Whether it’s transforming a battered dresser into a stylish showpiece, or salvaging a £235 ($300) wreath from a pile of rubbish, Maggie shows her millions of fans that anything can have value if you’re willing to put in the effort. “I think people like watching because it’s real,” she explained. “It’s not staged, it’s not fake, it’s just me, a paintbrush, and whatever I can find on the curb. And somehow that’s become my career.” From that first end table in 2020 to flipping an entire abandoned house, Maggie McGaugh’s journey has been extraordinary. And now she’s branching out even further, recently turning her attention to exposing online scammers by deliberately purchasing fake products and revealing what really turns up in the post. The series has been a smash hit, racking up nearly 100 million views across platforms in just a month. But despite the viral success, Maggie insists she’s just getting started. Her advice to her millions of fans hoping to follow in her footsteps? “Don’t be afraid to fail. Most of my projects weren’t instant successes. But if you keep going, keep trying, and keep looking for the opportunity’s others throw away. You never know where it might lead.”