Worthless, $1000 "I Am Rich" iPhone App Disappears (AAPL)

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i-am-rich.jpgThe $1000, zero-utility "I Am Rich" app for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and iPod touch has been removed from the iTunes App Store.

It no longer appears in searches, coder Armin Heinrich's list of apps, or the most-recent apps list.

We don't know if Apple removed it or if Armin did -- either is plausible -- but we'll update if we find out.

While we're asking: Did anyone buy it?

UPDATE: You bet they bought it, says Armin: He says he sold 8 copies in less than a day, and netted about $6,000.

Also: This isn't the only app to disappear from iTunes after a short stay - by our count there are 5, so far.

See Also:
Apple's iPhone-App-Approval Mouse Falls Off Treadmill: Buy The $1000 App That Does Nothing
iPhone Game 'Tap Tap Revenge': Popular With Humans, Birds
More Ads Coming To iPhone Apps: AdMob Expands iPhone Ad Network
Apple's Secrecy Obsession About To Backfire On The iPhone. Time To Ditch The NDA



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93 Comments

rich said:
I bought two, and I don't even have an iphone -- but am rich.

Robert Basil (URL) said:
What amazes me is Apple takes 2 weeks (or more) to approve many much needed app updates, but something as stupid as this app is approved with no problem.

Amit (URL) said:
No need to update - it's gone. Doesn't matter who removed it. I'm actually surprised it got as much attention as it did. Talk about free advertising.

frederic said:
I bought a copy and gave it to my dog to chew on!

@Amit: I wonder how many copies of Calc Pro he's sold because of this.

Sam Kass (URL) said:
Robert, Apple has been rumored to take a long time to post updates, but seems to post the first version of apps very quickly. My ChessClock application was submitted Friday afternoon and posted Monday afternoon. I'm prepping 1.1, so I'm curious whether that will fall into the update morass, but I think Apple is giving preference to getting developers apps up in the first place over getting out patch after patch to initially buggy apps.

Sweet, not only was it pricey, now it's also super-rare! (If only there was some kind of iPhone app aftermarket...)

brent said:
I own an art gallery. It seems like a smart piece to me. And the fact that people are getting so riled up about it makes the piece even stronger. AND as far as art goes, $1000 isn't too bad. This app isn't useful, but it makes you think. Maybe people are against thinking...

oy said:
@brent Genocide makes you think too. Why don't people appreciate thinking about these great things? Jeez.

Alex (URL) said:
Don't think anyone's going to own up to buying it...

thaumata (URL) said:
@Oy: did you seriously just compare an iphone app to genocide? oh my god, i haven't laughed so hard all day.

For those that may be interested, I will be building the 1 Am Rich iFone app and will make it available at the low-low price of only $499.99. That is 50% off the retail price!

Ooh, the value of owning the app just went up.

J Love said:
I bought it for my new iPhone 3G and then blew it and my blackberry up with fireworks. How do you like them Apples!

Magic_Al said:
I don't think anyone bought it. It was pulled from the App Store while I had the listing displayed on my iPod touch. At the time the listing showed zero downloads. I had found it and was going to show it to someone, and by the time I walked across my building, I still had it on the search screen but touching it caused a popup that it was not available.

Constable Odo said:
If you bought it and didn't like it, could you get your money back?

So many arguments of whether it should have been in the App Store or not. If feel sorry for the people that have poor eyesight and thought it was $9.99 because wouldn't think any app would cost $999. There might have been some deception by way of stupidity involved, but I doubt if it violated any of the App store rules.

Chrris said:
Quote Magic_Al:At the time the listing showed zero downloads.

Up to now EVERY app shows zero downloads when displayed on the iPod Touch, even the Top 25. So I guess the counter is not yet working for display.

Ben Ortega (URL) said:
If anyone did, I don't think they are going to admit it.

This is why there is a "coder" shortage!!

dj said:
I bet alot of the apps, are spybots

jd said:
geez you guys just can't even have a bit of fun.

Bjorn said:
I have the app on my iPhone.

If anyone wants to buy the phone w/App from me email bjorn.lornsen@gmail.com

The price is $10,000. I prefer to use an escrow service unless you can meet in person in the bay area.
-b

Thrifty said:
I took a screen capture of the iTunes app store page, cropped it, put it in my iPhone photo album, and now can pull up the picture to make it appear that I'm rich, or at least, stupid.

Darko said:
I send this morning a complaint concerning this app and the lack of control over the choice of app... maybe my comment where enough to remove this app?

Sigh said:
This app would have been approved quickly because it had ZERO COMPLEXITY. It would have taken 30 seconds to review the code. Stop your whining. If anything it probably gave the code reviewer a good laugh and made that day less tedious.

Sorry, I forgot: whining for the sake of whining.

RjX said:
I bought one for my iPod Touch. I don't have an iPhone but I fake it by holding the iPod up like I'm talking into it.

MILE (URL) said:
Actually, according to an interview that the "developer" gave to a German mag four people have bought it so far...! Probably by accident, but I guess he doesn't care...

Here's the (German) article:

http://www.areamobile.de/news/9645.html

Anthony DeAngelis (URL) said:
I purchased it. I want to have every iPhone app and this is included.

AMP said:
@thrifty

that would be the iLook Rich application

KenC said:
Didn't Apple have a minimum number of sales before remitting to the developer? I don't think Armin will hit the min.

Joel J said:
I'm not technically rich, but I do have a lot of stuff I don't need that I refuse to share with others. Does that count?

A. Heinrich said:
I pulled the app because I'm about to post a new version "I am REALLY Rich" with a green gem which will sell for $1,999.

michael (URL) said:
I posted this in the original article - you can achieve the same affect by bookmarking a web page with a specified icon...

http://tinyurl.com/67ehxq

or the longer version:
http://ifelse.org/projects/iphone/rich/shallow.html

Enjoy!

Let just have a sense of humor and let it go....

http://tinyurl.com/6ppvpm

Spike (URL) said:
Jeez, almost no one has a sense of humor. It was funny AND it called attention to the guy and his real products. Creative marketing.

mr panic said:
its all fun and games till some loses an i

Bob Wheat (URL) said:
Really a good information about Apple iPhone..!

Andy Merrett (URL) said:
What happens if you try to recover an application from the iTunes Store that has been removed? Say I wipe my iPhone or the apps get screwed (no, really?) and so I recover from iTunes - what if the app no longer exists?

Not that I'd buy the $1,000 version, but say for example those lucky enough to get the tethering app before it got pulled. What if they lose the app?

I know apps are stored on a local backup, but already I've reinstalled an app or two from iTunes because it mysteriously disappeared from the iPhone.

Anonymous said:
The source code leaked!!!1 Here it is!

[code]
int main() {
return 0;
}
[/code]

Now you can build it for your own iPhone, enjoy :)

@Andy Merrett I assume Apple will issue a refund for any apps that have been removed like that, especially something like this which was an ugly scam.

Dylan Solenburger said:
I dont know whats the big deal. i mean its only $1000? i spend that on my golden toilet paper every day. Sh** man. ha heres some pics of it on mine



And heres what the app does. WOW look at those graphics!


Dylan Solenburger said:
sorry photos didnt show last time: here

I dont know whats the big deal. i mean its only $1000? i spend that on my golden toilet paper every day. Sh** man. ha heres some pics of it on mine

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/akninja13/Dylansipod002.png


And heres what the app does. WOW look at those graphics!

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i40/akninja13/IMG_0003.png

Markus Göbel, AreaMobile.de (URL) said:
Yesterday I talked to Armin on the phone. He had already sold it four times between 8 PM and 10 AM. That's what he told.

Colel said:
Could Apple take down any application from AppStore regardless of whether or not it violates any of its policies?

Name (Required) said:
Apple most certainly remove the app which exposes them to fraud charges after they get sued for providing a vessel for the scam app. Let's not forget, they would have participated in it by sharing the revenue. AND by loose claim, for not having the shopping cart where you can correct your button-clicking errors or pranks by your dorm buddies or "friends".

woods said:
Do people here really think this app is a scam on the level of fraud? If I recall correctly, the app's description specifically said that it did nothing and had no functional value. If you ask me, trying to sell something for $1000 while fully admitting that it's completely useless isn't exactly a great scam. If I go door-to-door selling rocks for $1000 and someone buys one, I haven't scammed anybody. I've just found a sucker who's rich enough to buy one.

@Name (Required)
In iTunes, Preferences > Store > "Buy using a Shopping Cart" is the option you're looking for.

Ionel Cocan said:
=))))))))))))))))))
excellent!!!
=)))))))))))))))))0

@Anonymous

wrong language

erichansa (URL) said:
Well, shit, how am I going to get my updates now?

maximus said:
I bought it. I will post the video later tonight

Never (URL) said:
Someone DID buy it.
http://i35.tinypic.com/vfeo5.png

mother said:
Sorry, but I don;t think it's a scam at all.

I think it's genius; a form of passive performance art.

There are plenty of rich, shallow, materialistic people (in America especially)who would pay for soemthing like this...Think Paris Hilton (maybe she can;t work an Iphone...but, as we all know that doesn;t matter, it;s just being seen using the "it" gadget of the moment.

I can hear her now:

"Oh, you mean, it's pretty, red and looks like a jewel and only people who can drop a G on a jpg will have it...Weeeeeeeeee! Sign me up."

I hope he did make some money, good for him. Entertaining for the rest of us who would see this on somepne's phone and instantly recognize their douchebag status.

me said:
Some idiot bought it and now wants is money back.
i say no no :)

Andy said:
Perhaps this was removed in order to justify the $999.99 because now all copies sold are part of a very limited edition run. Supply and demand...

People will be selling these few iphones for millions of dollars when that programmer dies one day...

g1o1n1z1o1 said:
yeahhh

christian (URL) said:
I can't see how they can justify calling it an application. Some may argue that it displays an image and that alone performs a function but if I compile a default iPhone application in xcode it displays a black screen. Is that called an application? Same goes for any of the flashlight apps that do nothing but display white. Is that an application? No, but they are left in the store. If he charged $20 for it would they have a problem?

I say it's brilliant and let him have it. If someone buys it (not on accident) then this guy deserves the money.

Alisa said:
What does this app do anyway that makes it worth 1k?

ixlere (URL) said:
Palm OS Version. Free. http://ixle.tripod.com/id15.html

Aaron said:
@Alisa: it truly does nothing except display the image of a red glowing gem on black...it does absolutely nothing else.

However it is interesting to note that a clone of i am rich is available through Cydia for you jailbreakers out there...for free.

CL said:
This guy claims to have bought it:

http://www.appcraver.com/guy-accidentally-buys-99999-iphone-app/

$BillYall (URL) said:
I bought it!

All my friends are jealous now

http://img150.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=59683_My_two_Apps_122_1064lo.jpg

Tippy said:
The reason they removed it is once people found out, everybody and their grandma would be be creating an "I Am Rich" app for the iPhone.

Jimbo said:
I heard it had a bug.

I wipe my arse with 3G Iphones...
I didn't know it was possible to spend more!

Hardy (URL) said:
Actually, I already created an "I Am Poor" and I'm waiting for it to get approved.

It is art, just like I Am Rich, but it is the poor man's I Am Rich app. It is a still art photo of some Mac&Cheese, can of tuna fish and Ramen Noodles. And, everyone can afford it at $0.99.

I'm going for the mass art market :-)

Adam said:
I agree that it's not a scam. It's a guy who made a useless status item in the digital realm, and people bought it. Regardless of the people who are idiots and just click on random buttons in a click-to-buy store setting, there were a few people who bought the thing for its intended purpose - to prove to others that they're rich. This is stupid, yes, but people do it all the time. Million-dollar cars aren't the best cars, they're just pretty status items that the owner can brag about. Designer clothes? Fancy weddings? Fine dining? These are all forms of status spending. And the dude's pretty smart, because the iPhone itself was the perfect gathered market of the rich & wasteful.

Adam said:
P.S. But also, I don't think Apple should have ever accepted this app into their store. But that's Apple's fault.

I'm just saying, it's an expensive status item, not a scam. A scam is where you lie to people in order to get their money. This was no lie, it was clearly marketed as a useless app.

Rich Coasters (URL) said:
Fear not as you may now show your wealth "offline" with the amazing "I am rich" Coasters!

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ash said:
I don't think this app should have been pulled off. But instead of "I am rich" it should read "I am stupid".

TOM said:
a windows mobile version in on ebay right now !!!
http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250281782541


brintey spears said:
i bought 3 but i dont really use them im wondering if i should buy a 4th but hey im frickin rich!!! hell ya!! beeeeoy!


I Am Rich (URL) said:
Just get the I Am Rich shirt and be done with it: http://www.cafepress.com/IAmRich


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