The founder of Barstool Sports, David Portnoy, flexed on social media showing himself buying a pack of gum with a Black Card for $1.59 – and the terminal displays his available Membership Rewards balance of 44,403,931 points.
Sure, you can use Amex points at Rite Aid. It’s a poor value, but it’s an opportunity to show the balance in an ironic setting. The employee comments “you probably could go on a trip” and Portnoy boasts “I’ve gotta be a league leader with points.”
The top person in the U.S. Membership Rewards program at one point had over 120 million points. A decade ago the President of the American AAdvantage program shared several people were nearing 100 million points in her program. And many people have heard about 2 billion Membership Rewards points in the Hong Kong program but while that’s a large number it’s not actually as big as it sounds (given inflated earning and redemption rates).
So in a sense 44 million points makes the person in the video a piker, especially if they’re earning them with an Amex Black Card, generally at a single point per dollar spent. While Dave Portnoy calls himself ‘master of points’ simply by virtue of having a lot, he’s hardly maximizing his earn.
@ Gary — This is so staged, which almost makes it seem fake. Like people have someone walking around filming them doing all of their mundane day-to-day tasks.
Gary, As I’m sure you know Dave is worth over $100 million. I seriously doubt he spends one second worrying about maximizing his points and miles (which is correct). However, he uses them (or doesn’t use them at all) is his business. Also, he has a private plane, multiple homes and can pretty much afford anything he wants so, while this is something you and other bloggers (like Ben), get on him about he likely doesn’t care a bit. Just jealousy among people that they would better maximize the value or how they would use it. Get over it people and quit trying to tell others, especially ones that can buy and sell you many times over, what to do or what “mistakes” you think they made.
@AC – I assume Gary was critiquing him for calling himself ‘master of points’ because he’s anything but (e.g. zero strategy for accruing them rationally).
It has nothing to do with how many points he has or doesn’t, which is exactly Gary’s point. You could have a billion points, and if you redeem them for gift cards, it’s still a terrible redemption, not something that deserves the monikor ‘master of points’.
Bottom line? No one cares. It won’t be long before he gets old and dies like everyone else.
To have that many points and do nothing with them…
For this guy, he has 44 million points AND he probably adds to that with everyday spending. For such a person, there comes a point at which one asks, “What the heck am I going to do with all of these points?” For my wife and I, we have sufficient points to cover our needs. So, we transfer newly earned points to family, friends, and team members whom we have added as additional cardholders. They are able to take trips that are otherwise out of their reach. It’s a happy thing.
POS Dave proving himself yet again….
I can’t believe I read this.
Children. Let the first one, come forward who would NOT want 500,000 much less 45 BIG ones.
Further, he could never use 10% in his lifetime. So, why not use them, buying everything possible? He is not looking, for a good ROI.
Stop being so petty. It doesn’t affect you, so why be so critical? Jealousy, envy and wannabes, one and all.
He has legally earned them. If he wants to showcase or make it known, with his personal, professional photographer at his beck and call, who should care? He is hot dogging his points. His 5 minutes of Fame. It found it’s way to this site, and allowed each of you critics, to enjoy, your 2 minutes of shame ….err, I mean fame.
GUYS LIKE PORTNOY SUBSIDIZE THE POINTS GAME FOR THE REST OF US who squeeze the credit card companies for every penny. We should be thanking Portnoy and his ilk for contributing to the overall financial viability of points programs. I do not follow sports as I believe it’s a wasteful time sink and abrogation of human intellect. But I recognize I’m privileged in my genetic endowment of high IQ and that 99% of Americans are not so fortunate, and they gain social pleasures by following sports, and it hardly bothers me except for slowing traffic to a crawl around stadiums on game days.
I never shop at Rite Aid, CVS, or Walgreens. These shops are extortionate in their pricing. The same goods are sold at Walmart or Target for much cheaper, and where available, Amazon Go, which is my favorite as I don’t have to interact with anyone and potentially offend any peon in-person with my overly high intellect.
Dave “Donkey Punch” Portnoy, seems like a cool guy if you avoid the woke flakes.
@ Fauci — Excellent point! Thanks, Dave!
If she was 17 or 18 he likely would have tried to take her home and stop and get some coke on the way too.
Some guys by a corvette when they hit middle age and/or not well endowed, others brag about their points, lol
Funny thing people don’t realize about Dave is that back when he was driving his Astrovan and bitching about the City of Boston stealing his newspaper kiosks he would have done the exact same thing.
Whoever said it looked staged. Portnoy actually does have someone follow him around and film stuff every single day. He does multiple pizza reviews DAILY. Same thing. It’s clearly spur of the moment. As amex platinum holder I was chuckling when I saw this and it’s pretty wild. I’m usually stoked if I have something in the 6 figures range.
Yea, he’s nowhere near being a Points leader. Just read some guy swiped his black card 31 times to buy somewhere in the neighborhood of $35+ million in art and now has amassed well over 100 million points. It was some insane number.
@Fauci…..you go girl.
Lloyd.
Fauci is not sure, which sex
checkmark IT (he, she, it) should check on employment applications. Tony, is short for Antoinette.
@Fauci…go back under your rock