Billionaire Bill Gates Has A 'McGold Card' That Gives Him Free McDonald's Meals For Life, Anywhere In The World — But Says 'I Tend Not To Use It'

It must be one of the great ironies of wealth: the richer you are, the more free stuff you get. Celebrities get gifting suites. Athletes get free gear. And billionaires? Apparently, they get free Big Macs.

That's right—Bill Gates, worth well over $100 billion, has a McDonald's "gold card" granting him free meals for life anywhere in the world. And while it may sound like a recent social media stunt, the story behind Gates' golden ticket actually stretches back almost two decades—and involves his good friend, Warren Buffett.

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We likely first heard about these elusive McDonald's cards in 2007, when Buffett casually revealed his own during a CNBC interview. Pulling out his wallet, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO flashed his McGold card and joked, "Bill Gates has one. His is good throughout the world, I guess. Mine is only good in Omaha, but I never leave Omaha so mine is just as good as his!"

Buffett, a well-documented McDonald's enthusiast, is known for ordering sausage McMuffins for  breakfast and "splurging" on bacon egg and cheese biscuits when the market is up. He didn't elaborate much more about the elusive card at the time. But the idea of billionaires eating for free sparked plenty of curiosity.

For years, Gates never publicly confirmed his McGold status. That changed in January, when he appeared in a TikTok clip with celebrity chef and social media star Nick DiGiovanni. In the lighthearted video, DiGiovanni asked, "Bill, is it true you have a McDonald's gold card?"

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Gates didn't just say yes—he whipped it out.

The card read:

"Be our guest Bill Gates — Entitled to a complimentary meal at any McDonald's"

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Signed by Michael R. Quinlan, McDonald's Chairman and CEO during the late 1980s and 1990s. That little detail suggests Gates' card was issued somewhere between 1987 and 1999.

As for how he got it? Gates explained: "They actually sent it to me. My friend Warren Buffett got one before I did. But then a few months later, they sent one to me. But I tend not to use it since I can afford to buy the food."

Still, it's a lifelong perk, he added—and confirmed he's "a quarter pounder with cheese guy." When asked how many other golden cards might be floating around, Gates smiled and said, "Hopefully for them, not too many."

DiGiovanni tried his luck asking to borrow it, but Gates—clearly in a playful mood—declined, "Rules are pretty clear." Instead, he handed the chef a $50 gift certificate.

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As for the McGold cards themselves, their exact number remains a mystery. The few confirmed holders include Gates, Buffett, and actor Rob Lowe. Most cbards are hyper-local, valid only in specific cities or franchises. Gates' global pass makes his especially rare. McDonald's has occasionally offered McGold Cards through limited-time contests—most recently in December 2022, when a sweepstakes awarded twelve cards allowing winners two free meals a week for fifty years.

But for billionaires like Gates and Buffett, it seems the real value lies more in the novelty than the free fries. Gates even once told a 2010 MIT audience, "I still haven't found any burgers at any price that are better than McDonald's." He added that after a person reaches a certain net worth, adding more wealth "doesn't mean much. Success becomes all about how you're going to give it back."

So while Gates could dine at the fanciest restaurants on Earth, sometimes nothing beats the taste—or the nostalgia—of a simple cheeseburger. Apparently, even billionaires think the Golden Arches are golden for a reason.

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