An eccentric Chinese mogul wants to show America that there are generous people in China, so he is throwing a $1-million luncheon event for the underprivileged residents in New York City.

Recycling tycoon Chen Guangbiao used up a half-page ad space in The Wall Street Journal and a full-page in The New York Times to invite the struggling citizens in New York City to lunch. The event will be held on June 25 at Central Park's Loeb Boathouse, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report cited by The Huffington Post.

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In an interview with SCMP, Chen said he wants to show the US that not all people in China are luxury goods fanatics, and that some are "good philanthropists."

Chen will accommodate a maximum of 1,000 people. The guests will get a free meal and a $300 cash gift.

Those interested to join Chen's lunch event are requested to RSVP using a Hotmail email address, CNN reported.

Chen has built his empire by recycling local waste and construction materials in his home country. In recent years, he has been under the limelight for initiating publicity stunts geared towards promoting his charitable causes.

When the Lushan earthquake struck Sichuan in 2013, the billionaire arrived at the site of disaster and personally gave out cash to the victims. Over the years, he has donated millions of dollars to many charitable causes and has been included in the Forbe's list of leading philanthropists in Asia in more than one occasion.

In an unsuccessful bid to foster closer relations between the US and China, Chen has tried to purchase the New York Times. When that failed, he later on expressed his desire to buy the newspaper's opinion section and use it to publish articles on charity and environmental protection.

However, not everyone is impressed with Chen's grand gestures. Jeremy Goldkorn, the director of Chinese media research company Danwei, thinks Chen is a "clown" who seeks to promote himself through his publicity stunts. He described the Chinese mogul as the "greatest insult" to their people.