How many times do you stop by McDonald’s every week? Many people grab a quick lunch or perhaps they stop for a snack in the middle of the day. What if you could go to McDonald’s every day for a year absolutely free? How about if we took it even further and you could get free McDonald’s for the rest of your life? It may be closer to reality than you realized.
It was in 2015 on a Jimmy Kimmel Live show when actor Rob Lowe introduced many of us to this mysterious card. He flashed the ‘McGold Card’ during the interview and let the cat out of the bag. You might think that Lowe received his gold card because he is famous, but in reality, a close friend of his, David Peterson, owns six McDonald’s locations in California. In addition, Business Insider reveals that Peterson’s father developed the Egg McMuffin.
Thanks to being an owner of the McGold Card, Lowe can now go to any of his friend’s franchises and get unlimited free food for a year.
Lowe may have received the honor from McDonald’s but he isn’t the only person and he didn’t even get the best deal. The franchisee also presented Larry Crandell, a local philanthropist, a card for his 90th birthday. Crandall tried to use the card at least once a month. Thanks to being the owner of the solid, metal card, Crandall was able to enjoy free McDonald’s food until he died at the age of 93.
Actor Rob Lowe, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffet have their hands on McDonald's exclusive Gold Card. pic.twitter.com/zuYJ686LWu
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) August 19, 2017
These valuable cards can also be given away by other locations or the mother company. For example, the father of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was apparently the owner of a ‘little pink card’ that he could use for free McDonald’s meals. Prior to the time that McDonald’s became popular, George Romney gave some training sessions, so one of the original founders Ray Krok presented him with a lifetime of “a hamburger, a shake, and French fries at McDonald’s,” reports the Wall Street Journal. It seems as if that card was well used because Mitt Romney’s father would go daily for a hamburger or fish fillet sandwich.
According to CNBC, Warren Buffett has the card that allows him to get free McDonald’s in Omaha, and his card never expires. Buffett also said that Bill Gates has a gold card from McDonald’s that gives him free food at any location worldwide until he dies.
It isn’t only billionaires that may get the McGold Card, but it may take more than being friends with a franchisee. When a Cleveland man named Charles Ramsey saved a young girl and three women who were kidnapped by his neighbor in 2003, he apparently got a card. During the interviews, he repeatedly said he was holding a “half-eaten Big Mac” when the rescue was made. Thousands of people on twitter kept urging McDonald’s to give him a gold card and they listened. He got free McDonald’s for a year and according to CNN Money, 14 McDonald’s locations in Ohio said they would continue to give him free burgers for the rest of his life.
Not everybody likes McDonald’s, so you may be interested in the ‘Burger King gold card’ that grants lifetime free meals to the holder. Jennifer Hudson is a former Burger King employee and a cardholder. George Lucas also has the BK gold card after partnering with them during some of his movie releases. Hugh Laurie falsely claimed he had the card in an interview, so Burger King sent him one. According to Adage, only 12 people as of 2008 had the Burger King gold card.
The rest of us will still have to continue paying.