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Free McDonald’s for life. It’s the dream of many a 12-year-old, but it doesn’t seem like a reasonable goal for most people. What could you ever do to merit such a thing? It turns out, McDonald’s has a promotion that makes this burger-laden fantasy into reality. The McGold card is not just a rumor; it’s a real thing. It is a card that grants the holder anything they want from McDonald’s for life. The card must be bestowed upon the recipient by a franchise owner or the McDonald’s corporation. Most cards are local, valid at specific restaurants, but some may be accepted worldwide. The details are shrouded in mystery, but a handful of people are confirmed to have had one, including billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, Regis Philbin, Rob Lowe, Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond, rapper Juice WRLD, and Mitt Romney’s dad.
In 2007, Warren Buffett gave an interview to CNBC in which he casually mentioned that he had a McDonald’s card in his wallet, allowing him to eat there for free whenever he wanted. It only works in Omaha, but Buffett, a fan of McDonald’s breakfast items, rarely leaves Omaha, so it’s fine for him. He mentioned that Bill Gates also had one that was good worldwide, which Gates later confirmed on TikTok. Gates says he doesn’t use it because he can afford to pay.
All that glitters isn’t McGold
Having the gold card and making use of it are two different things. Andrew Hammond of the Ottawa Senators got his card from a local franchise in 2015, partly because his nickname was the Hamburglar. But, being a professional athlete, he probably wasn’t binging on McDonald’s burgers all that often.
Regis Philbin’s son-in-law explained that Philbin got his card after doing some McDonald’s ads in the 1990s. He would stop to get burgers with his family, but ended up paying in cash because store employees did not know what to do with the card, having never seen one before.
In 2015, Rob Lowe told Jimmy Kimmel about his McGold card. He got one because he was friends with the son of the man who invented the Egg McMuffin. However, Lowe’s card only worked in the Santa Barbara area and expired after a year. In 2019, rapper Juice WRLD got a card after partnering with McDonald’s. It was sold posthumously on eBay in 2026.
Mitt Romney explained that his father, once governor of Michigan, had done some training at McDonald’s when the restaurant was still young. Ray Kroc, the man who made McDonald’s a global phenomenon, had issued Romney a “Be Our Guest” card. It entitled Romney to free burgers, fries, and shakes for life.
It’s not just celebrities who get them. In 2022, McDonald’s ran a contest that anyone could enter to win a McGold card for themselves and three friends. Santa Barbara philanthropist Larry Crandell received one for his years of work for the community on his 90th birthday. If you’re in the market for one and you’re not famous, you just need to get very lucky or dedicate your life to community service. It could happen.