David Letele (born 9 September 1979), also known as the Brown Buttabean, is a New Zealand social activist and retired professional boxer and rugby league footballer from Auckland.
He created his own fitness gym with no equipment, giving out free meals for the homeless and runs a foodbank for people in need.
[7][8] Letele was an accomplished corporate boxer fighting multiple times on Duco Events’ card before turning pro.
He has his nobility as a professional boxer, public figure and has made unique, prolific or innovative contributions to a field of entertainment as he puts on a character when he is in the ring with a mic, in the media or at the weigh in as the Brown Buttabean.
Letele has received mixed reactions from the media and the general public, calling him Duco's circus act.
[11][non-primary source needed] With this title Letele puts out an open challenge to the locals to fight him at 4x2 minute rounds at a weight limit of 100 kg.
Letele lost the first fight but defended his title for the second time against Waikato Rugby Union Prop Loni Uhila on 6 December 2014.
[15] Letele defended the title for the third time against former Tonga national rugby union team star Finau Maka on 5 March 2015.
[17][non-primary source needed] Letele defended his title for the fourth and fifth time by fighting two people on the same night.
[18] Letele defended his title for the sixth and final time on 1 August 2015 against former Southland Rugby Football Union player Kaleni Taetuli.
This time he fought for what was called the vacant Duco Event's Corporate World Australia Title.
His weight loss inspired him to help others out by supporting and educating everyday people on their health and wellness journey.
[36][39] Buttabean Motivation helps people lose weight by doing weekly boot camps, dieting programs, support groups, fitness plans, community work and occasional school visits.
[40] In June 2015, Letele announced that he had launched a new website to help motivate people on their weight-loss journey.
[43] In February 2019, Letele broke the world record for the number of people performing frog squats simultaneously at a boot camp event that he hosted at Eden Park.
[44] Due to his work in combating obesity through his community organisation Buttabean Motivation (BBM), Letele won the 2022 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year.
In mid-March 2024, a government funding shortfall forced BBM Foodshare to limits its free food parcel service to 200 families.
At its peak, BBM Foodshare supported 700 families, hired three staff members and had an operating budget of NZ$1 million.
[48][49] In mid December 2024, Letele's foodbank was able to continue operating for the Christmas holidays after receiving generous donations from the telecommunications entrepreneur Annette Presley, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and an anonymous wealthy donor.
[50] In January 2022, MediaWorks New Zealand announced that Letele would join its new current affairs radio station Today FM.
Letele also befriended various figures on both sides of the New Zealand political spectrum in order to support his community outreach.
In response, Luxon accused Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of creating a campaign built on fear and negativity.
Since their release they helped form a foundation – called Grace – to support families facing similar problems.
He has attributed his weight problems as stemming from suffering difficult, lonely times in Australia, during which he struggled financially.
[57][10][58] On the morning of 21 February 2024, Letele took part in a children's charity fun run in lower Queen Street in Auckland with Green Party MP and fellow Samoan community leader Efeso Collins.
Shortly before 9:30 NZDT, Collins collapsed outside Britomart Station; 30 to 40 minutes' worth of attempts by on-site paramedics to revive him failed.