MythBusters · Video summary

Do Women With Larger Breasts Really Earn Bigger Tips? | MythBusters

MythBusters Kari Byron and Tory Belleci explore the age-old question of whether bigger breasts lead to bigger tips in the service industry and if women are attracted to men with money.

MythBusters · September 19, 2026 · 21-min episode · 4-min read

Do Women With Larger Breasts Really Earn Bigger Tips? | MythBusters

Key takeaways

💡The myth being tested is that if a woman can augment her female profile, she can significantly increase the amount of gratuity she receives, essentially equating bigger breasts to bigger tips.00:09
⚙️To ensure accurate data collection, a custom-built, remote-controlled tip jar is used to separate tips from male and female customers, preventing bias in the results.03:27
📊During the control phase with Kari's natural D-cup size, the average tip per male customer is 90 cents.05:48
📉When Kari's bust is taped down to a smaller size, the average tip per male customer remains unchanged at 90 cents, suggesting that a smaller bust does not affect tipping.08:16
📈With a triple-D bust, the average tip per male customer increases to $1.23, a 30% increase, confirming the myth that breast size can influence tips.11:33
💰In the "Loveanomics" experiment, men with higher-paying jobs receive a 23% increase in their attractiveness score from women, confirming that money influences perceived attractiveness.20:09

Chapters

0:07Introduction to the Myths
0:41The "Storm in a D-Cup" Experiment Setup
2:04Shopping for Prosthetic Breasts
3:24Working at Caffè Roma: The Control Day
9:07Results of the Control Day
10:47Smaller Breast Size Experiment
13:30Results of the Smaller Breast Size Experiment
14:06Triple-D Breast Size Experiment
18:45Results of the Triple-D Breast Size Experiment
20:31Introduction to the "Loveanomics" Experiment
22:13Setting Up the "Loveanomics" Experiment
23:40Round 1: Lower-Paying Jobs
25:29Anecdotal Feedback from Round 1
28:50Round 2: Higher-Paying Jobs
31:43Anecdotal Feedback from Round 2
33:23Results of the "Loveanomics" Experiment
33:45Conclusion and Biological Basis

The digest

The MythBusters team, led by Kari Byron, Grant Imahara, and Tory Belleci, tackles two long-standing societal myths: the correlation between breast size and gratuity in the service industry, and the age-old belief that women are more attracted to wealthy men. With a blend of scientific rigor and humorous experimentation, they set out to uncover the truth behind these intriguing claims.

The "Storm in a D-Cup" Experiment: Breast Size and Tips

The first myth, dubbed "Storm in a D-Cup," investigates whether a woman's breast size significantly impacts the amount of tips she receives in a service setting. Kari Byron volunteers to be the subject, working shifts at a local coffee shop, Caffè Roma, in San Francisco. To ensure scientific accuracy, Kari maintains the same shift, clothes, wig, and contacts each day, with the only variable being her breast size. Grant and Tory set up an elaborate surveillance system with multiple cameras, including a "tip cam," to meticulously record and separate tips given by male and female customers. They use a custom-built, remote-controlled tip jar that sorts cash based on the gender of the tipper, ensuring unbiased data collection.