Masahiro Sakurai
In thanks for aiding them, Nintendo gave Kirby a $30,000 sailboat, christened the "Donkey Kong", along with "exclusive worldwide rights to use the name for sailboats." Shigeru Miyamoto also stated that the name of the character Kirby was chosen in honor of Kirby, although Kirby's creator, Masahiro Sakurai, affirms it to be a coincidence. It is rumored that a copy of the game "Kirby's Dream Land" was eventually sent to Kirby, who was humored and flattered.