What Credit Cards Do the Rich and Famous Use?

What credit cards do the rich and famous actually use? You might assume that billionaires and celebrities carry nothing but the most expensive and exclusive cards available, but the real answer is a little more interesting. Some famous people have been associated with the American Express Centurion Card, while others have been reported carrying much more ordinary American Express cards.

I went looking for documented examples of the credit cards associated with wealthy and famous people. Some of the information is well documented, while other celebrity card claims have been repeated so many times that it is difficult to verify them. Where the evidence is uncertain, I have made that clear rather than treating an internet rumor as fact.

Affiliate Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review and recommend. If you click on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened, we may earn a commission. We are independently owned, and the opinions expressed here are our own.

Warren Buffett Still Carries an American Express Green Card

Warren Buffett may be one of the most famous investors in the world, but his personal credit card is not what you might expect from a billionaire.

Buffett has publicly discussed his American Express card on several occasions. In a 2011 CNBC interview, he said that his wife had one of the expensive black American Express cards while he still carried the Green Card. Buffett also spoke extensively about American Express and explained why he had considered the brand special since the 1960s.

That makes Buffett one of the more interesting examples on this list. He has enormous wealth and is one of American Express's most famous shareholders, yet he has publicly said that he carries the relatively basic Green Card rather than the company's most exclusive card.

Bill Gates Has Also Been Associated With the American Express Green Card

Bill Gates is another billionaire whose reported credit-card habits are considerably less extravagant than you might expect.

A report about the contents of Gates' wallet said that he carried an original green American Express card dating back to 1964, along with family photographs and a few other personal items.

Whether Gates still carries that particular card today is a different question, but the report is interesting because it shows how long the American Express brand has been associated with some of America's wealthiest people.

Mark Cuban Has Used the American Express Centurion Card

Mark Cuban is a much more predictable example when it comes to premium credit cards. Forbes reported that the billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner used the American Express Centurion Card, commonly known as the Black Card.

Cuban even discussed using the card publicly, saying that he did not feel guilty about using it and viewed it as something he had earned through his success.

The Centurion Card is not a normal credit card that someone can simply apply for online. American Express keeps its eligibility criteria private and makes the card available by invitation.

Jerry Seinfeld Says He Received the First American Express Centurion Card

One of the strangest stories in the credit-card world involves comedian Jerry Seinfeld and the creation of the American Express Centurion Card.

Seinfeld has said that while filming an American Express commercial, someone on the production crew told him about a rumored black American Express card supposedly held by extremely wealthy people. Seinfeld said he contacted the president of American Express the next morning and asked whether the card actually existed.

According to Seinfeld, the answer was that it was only a rumor—but that it was not a bad idea. He later claimed that he received the first Centurion Card.

American Express has never confirmed that Seinfeld alone was responsible for creating the card. The company has said that it considers customer feedback and insights when developing products. Still, Seinfeld's connection to the early history of the Centurion Card is one of the most entertaining stories involving a celebrity and a credit card.

Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey Have Been Reported as Centurion Cardholders

The American Express Centurion Card has also long been associated with celebrities including Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey.

Both names have appeared in published reports about celebrities who reportedly carry the Centurion Card. American Express does not publish a public list of Centurion cardholders, so these reports should be treated as reported associations rather than official confirmation from American Express.

That distinction is important with celebrity credit cards. A celebrity may be photographed with a card, mentioned in an article, or associated with a particular issuer for years without the issuer publicly confirming that the person is a current cardholder.

Jay-Z and Other Celebrities Have Been Associated With the Black Card

Jay-Z is another celebrity whose name has frequently been associated with the American Express Centurion Card. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have both been mentioned in published stories about celebrities who use the exclusive card.

The Centurion has become so closely associated with celebrities that simply being seen with one has become part of its image. That does not mean every celebrity whose name appears on an internet list is necessarily a current cardholder, however.

For that reason, I would be careful about treating celebrity credit-card lists as definitive. The best examples are the people who have actually discussed the cards themselves or have been reported by established publications.

Why Do So Many Famous People Have American Express Cards?

American Express has had an unusually strong connection with wealthy consumers, celebrities and entertainment for decades. Warren Buffett himself has explained why he considered the American Express brand special long before premium cards became a major part of the credit-card industry.

The Centurion Card took that image even further. Unlike an ordinary credit card, the Centurion was designed around exclusivity and personalized service. American Express does not publicly disclose all of the requirements for receiving an invitation.

That exclusivity is part of what makes the card so interesting to the public. A wealthy person can buy an expensive car, stay at an expensive hotel or fly on a private jet without needing a particular credit card. The Centurion is different because membership itself is part of the attraction.

Do Rich People Actually Need Exclusive Credit Cards?

Probably not in the way most people think.

Warren Buffett is a good example. Someone with his wealth obviously does not need a premium credit card to obtain access to credit. His decision to carry an American Express Green Card illustrates that the card someone uses does not necessarily correspond to how wealthy that person is.

For someone who spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, however, the benefits and services attached to an invitation-only card can have value. That is a very different calculation from someone trying to find the best everyday rewards card.

The Most Interesting Credit Card Choices May Not Be the Most Expensive Ones

Looking at the cards associated with wealthy and famous people produces an interesting conclusion: there is no single credit card that all rich people use.

Some famous people have been associated with the American Express Centurion Card. Others have used American Express cards that are available to ordinary consumers. Warren Buffett's Green Card is probably the best example of how different a billionaire's credit-card choice can be from what people might expect.

And that may be the most interesting part of researching the credit cards of the rich and famous. Their wealth does not necessarily determine which card ends up in their wallet.

Final Thoughts

The American Express Centurion Card certainly has the strongest connection to celebrities and the ultra-wealthy, but it is not the only card associated with rich and famous people.

Warren Buffett has publicly discussed carrying the Green Card. Mark Cuban has been documented using the Centurion Card. Jerry Seinfeld has told the unusual story of his involvement with the creation of the Black Card, and celebrities such as Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey have been reported as Centurion cardholders.

So, what credit card do rich and famous people use? The answer depends on the person. And sometimes, the billionaire with the most money is carrying a much less extravagant card than you would expect.