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Collector Gets 422 Million AmEx Points With Cup Purchase

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I'm kind of picturing, when the waiter first comes over to take the orders, the friend going:
"We're going to be spending lavishly today my fine man! And it will all be put on my American Express Black Card!"

In which case, the frustration at the "most unpleasant casual dining experience ever" should be placed on the friend.
But, hey, if someone's going to pay for my dinner, I'm fine with that

Funny story: my sisters old boyfriend dealt arms (like weapons and such) and one time they were dining with some US guys and arabic looking guys in this fancy restaurant. As they were all looking a bit scruffy, not wearing the finest clothes and such so they only got cold shoulders from the waitresses etc.

Suddenly wild "best tier" (whatever that was?) AMEX card appears on the corner of the table and soon enough they were showered with finest champagnes and shit on the house.

(Sounds like an urban legend but it's a true story^TM)
 
Funny story: my sisters old boyfriend dealt arms (like weapons and such) and one time they were dining with some US guys and arabic looking guys in this fancy restaurant. As they were all looking a bit scruffy, not wearing the finest clothes and such so they only got cold shoulders from the waitresses etc.

Suddenly wild "best tier" (whatever that was?) AMEX card appears on the corner of the table and soon enough they were showered with finest champagnes and shit on the house.

(Sounds like an urban legend but it's a true story^TM)

Having heard similar stories, with corresponding huge receipts, in retail, I believe this.
 
Funny story: my sisters old boyfriend dealt arms (like weapons and such) and one time they were dining with some US guys and arabic looking guys in this fancy restaurant. As they were all looking a bit scruffy, not wearing the finest clothes and such so they only got cold shoulders from the waitresses etc.

Suddenly wild "best tier" (whatever that was?) AMEX card appears on the corner of the table and soon enough they were showered with finest champagnes and shit on the house.

(Sounds like an urban legend but it's a true story^TM)

Not surprised at all. The requirements to get a Centurion card (approximately $15M in assets and/or $1M annual income, not to mention the $2500 annual fee + $7500 initiation fee) pretty much demonstrate that the holder is loaded.
 
Not surprised at all. The requirements to get a Centurion card (approximately $15M in assets and/or $1M annual income, not to mention the $2500 annual fee + $7500 initiation fee) pretty much demonstrate that the holder is loaded.

Shit

I'd be casually dropping the card if I had that much cash. lol
 
This dude is ballin'.

You'd expect a cup worth 36 million to come encased in a sealed glass box, only to be touched with gloved hands. This dude is just sipping his daily tea from it.
 
OT: A friend of mine decided to use his black card at a random Applebees get together once.

Most unpleasant casual dining experience ever...waiters were basically circled around the table trying to serve us.
Was it the Centurion or the bullshit Visa one?
 
36 million for a tea cup.

More money than I can make in 20 lifetimes. On a fucking cup.

This story is so incredibly stupid I can't even wrap my head around it. That much for a porcelain cup. It breaks and it's all that down the drain.

What does he do? He's a collector and that's it?
 
The guy spent 36M gets 200k, I don't think he even needed the 200k.

Of course he doesn't - he didn't even know he was eligible until the media contacted him, and even then his daughter was the one doing the work to find out the number of eligible points.

When you're wealthy enough to buy a $36M teacup (and DRINK from it), $200k is almost literally pocket change; a glorified rounding error. On the other hand, for me, $200k would pay off my mortgage, my student loan, the last bit of my car loan, and leave me enough money to buy a NWC gold cart. ;)
 
More than 20 lifetimes? $1.8M over your entire life doesn't seem unreasonable.

40 years @ 50,000/yr (I would love to make even that much right now) is what I came up with. I would be lucky to break 2M in my lifetime. It is incredibly difficult to find a decent paying job around here.
 
Was it the Centurion or the bullshit Visa one?

Hah, I was thinking that too. That Centurion card is invite only and you have to have $16 + million (US) in assets and make over $1.3M yearly income to even qualify for one. Who know how much you have to have spent on the Platinum AMEX to get the invite.
 
Hah, I was thinking that too. That Centurion card is invite only and you have to have $16 + million (US) in assets and make over $1.3M yearly income to even qualify for one. Who know how much you have to have spent on the Platinum AMEX to get the invite.

Platinum can work just as well as Centurion - the spending limits are unlimited (pending income verification). Obviously centurion is flashier, though. Though, I like the Platinum card better.
 
Hah, I was thinking that too. That Centurion card is invite only and you have to have $16 + million (US) in assets and make over $1.3M yearly income to even qualify for one. Who know how much you have to have spent on the Platinum AMEX to get the invite.

Huh? I worked for them not too long ago, and you had to spend $250,000 on a Platinum to possibly get an invite. Nothing about assets or income, unless that changed recently. Neither of them are "unlimited" spending limits, just no pre-set spending limits.
 
Huh? I worked for them not too long ago, and you had to spend $250,000 on a Platinum to possibly get an invite. Nothing about assets or income, unless that changed recently.

I think I remember reading that either one could qualify you for the card.
 
Huh? I worked for them not too long ago, and you had to spend $250,000 on a Platinum to possibly get an invite. Nothing about assets or income, unless that changed recently. Neither of them are "unlimited" spending limits, just no pre-set spending limits.

Chances are they will do a "financial review" randomly. Very annoying when it happens unexpectedly.
 
Chances are they will do a "financial review" randomly. Very annoying when it happens unexpectedly.

Is this to see if you're eligible for the Centurion? I have the platinum card and I don't think I've ever had a financial review, they've never even questioned the income I claimed.
 
Is this to see if you're eligible for the Centurion? I have the platinum card and I don't think I've ever had a financial review, they've never even questioned the income I claimed.

They did it to me after 25k went through the card in one month. Might have been flagged because I never spend that much. For Centurion it's mostly spending plus invite I think.
 
I think I remember reading that either one could qualify you for the card.

Huh? I worked for them not too long ago, and you had to spend $250,000 on a Platinum to possibly get an invite. Nothing about assets or income, unless that changed recently. Neither of them are "unlimited" spending limits, just no pre-set spending limits.

Yeah.

I know a dude who owns two sporting goods stores. He buys everything for the store on his Platinium/Satrwood preffered customer AMEX.

He got an invite to the Centurion card 3-4 years ago. I believe the requirement was spending $250,000, and this guy doesn't have millions like some are saying you need to have.

The reason why a lot of people don't have the black card is the upkeep and the fees required. You pretty much have to spend $250,000 minimum a year and pay a hefty fee.

Ballers get it not really because of the points, but the perks it provides, such as the incredible concierge service and the doors that it opens for you.
 
Yeah.

I know a dude who owns two sporting goods stores. He buys everything for the store on his Platinium/Satrwood preffered customer AMEX.

He got an invite to the Centurion card 3-4 years ago. I believe the requirement was spending $250,000, and this guy doesn't have millions like some are saying you need to have.

The reason why a lot of people don't have the black card is the upkeep and the fees required. You pretty much have to spend $250,000 minimum a year and pay a hefty fee.

Ballers get it not really because of the points, but the perks it provides, such as the incredible concierge service and the doors that it opens for you.

I don't think that's true, I think it just has a higher fee.
 
Chow said it is “one of the most faked and most revered pieces of porcelain in China,” with tens of thousands of replicas around.

I'd be completely paranoid about that, even with a pile of certifications and guarantees.


I know a dude who owns two sporting goods stores. He buys everything for the store on his Platinium/Satrwood preffered customer AMEX.


There's a Centurion Card separately for businesses; the personal version iirc offers some added benefits that the biz version lacks.
 
OT: A friend of mine decided to use his black card at a random Applebees get together once.

Most unpleasant casual dining experience ever...waiters were basically circled around the table trying to serve us.

But how did the servers know your friend had a black card before the end of the meal?
 
I don't think that's true, I think it just has a higher fee.

Pretty sure that's what this guy told me when he got the invite. He called that number they gave him in the invite box to get al the details. You must hit a certain spending ceiling.

I

There's a Centurion Card separately for businesses; the personal version iirc offers some added benefits that the biz version lacks.

Didn't know there were two types.
 
OT: A friend of mine decided to use his black card at a random Applebees get together once.

Most unpleasant casual dining experience ever...waiters were basically circled around the table trying to serve us.

At my last job at a high-end bike store, we would have group rides. One of them was for baller.

We literally had a guy who would buy $4 energy bars with bis Black AMEX. Super relaxed guy, never showed off and everyone loved him. It was just funny how he had this one card for everything.
 
For the US Centurion card you need $250,000 of Amex charge card spend in a year and an emphasis on luxury spending to be eligible for an invite. It's invite-only and they will evaluate high spend accounts periodically, but you can call and ask them to consider you if you're above the threshold. Initiation fee is $7500 and annual fee is $2500. It's similar to a Platinum in terms of perks, just with a more exclusive concierge, some automatic frequent flyer status, and invites to exclusive deals.
 
For the US Centurion card you need $250,000 of Amex charge card spend in a year and an emphasis on luxury spending to be eligible for an invite. It's invite-only and they will evaluate high spend accounts periodically, but you can call and ask them to consider you if you're above the threshold. Initiation fee is $7500 and annual fee is $2500. It's similar to a Platinum in terms of perks, just with a more exclusive concierge, some automatic frequent flyer status, and invites to exclusive deals.

Do you have one breh? :D
 
They did it to me after 25k went through the card in one month. Might have been flagged because I never spend that much. For Centurion it's mostly spending plus invite I think.

Yep I ran like 50k through a Biz Gold in the first month to try and cap out their $100k limit on advertising spend to get 2x points, and they hit me with a random FR. I paid them off and let them close out the card, I was closing it after I capped out that spend limit anyway.

Amex is really overrated. Their "unlimited" spending limit was actually $2000 internally, and I had to pay the card off every day and consistently run it up to get them to keep raising it, they go by some 6 month running spend average as your limit.
 
Amex is really overrated. Their "unlimited" spending limit was actually $2000 internally, and I had to pay the card off every day and consistently run it up to get them to keep raising it, they go by some 6 month running spend average as your limit.

Amex specifically states that they don't have an unlimited spending limit on their cards. They just don't have a pre-set spending limit.
 
At my last job at a high-end bike store, we would have group rides. One of them was for baller.

We literally had a guy who would buy $4 energy bars with bis Black AMEX. Super relaxed guy, never showed off and everyone loved him. It was just funny how he had this one card for everything.

I also use my AMEX for everything - keeps things simple and I love their customer service and perks.

Yep I ran like 50k through a Biz Gold in the first month to try and cap out their $100k limit on advertising spend to get 2x points, and they hit me with a random FR. I paid them off and let them close out the card, I was closing it after I capped out that spend limit anyway.

Amex is really overrated. Their "unlimited" spending limit was actually $2000 internally, and I had to pay the card off every day and consistently run it up to get them to keep raising it, they go by some 6 month running spend average as your limit.

The FR is annoying, but AMEX really helped me out without a lot of issues. And their insurance/protection for products purchased with the card is awesome. Especially the extended warranty. I can see how your limits could be annoying though. Truth be told, I am sure you could have reached a special department and gotten some proper limits setup.
 
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How has this not been posted?
 
For the US Centurion card you need $250,000 of Amex charge card spend in a year and an emphasis on luxury spending to be eligible for an invite. It's invite-only and they will evaluate high spend accounts periodically, but you can call and ask them to consider you if you're above the threshold. Initiation fee is $7500 and annual fee is $2500. It's similar to a Platinum in terms of perks, just with a more exclusive concierge, some automatic frequent flyer status, and invites to exclusive deals.

Do you have one breh? :D

Natch.
Dude flies to Belgium for chocolate.
 
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