Rudyard Kipling is the writer who was paid $5 for writing "thanks". In 1890, Kipling was working as a journalist for the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore, India, when his editor asked him to write a 250-word article thanking a reader for sending in a Christmas card. Instead of writing a traditional note, Kipling wrote a humorous and satirical poem titled "One Word More", which caught the attention of his editor and earned him a bonus of five rupees (equivalent to about $5 at the time). This incident is often cited as an early example of Kipling's talent for writing, and he went on to become one of the most famous writers of his time, known for works such as "The Jungle Book" and "Kim"