ABSTRACT
In August 2008 Apple produced a new app, in reality a glorified screensaver, for its iPhone called “I Am Rich.” This consisted of a glowing red gem on a user’s iPhone screen alongside of which are the words “I Am Rich” with “Category Lifestyle” underneath and the price of the app, which was $999.99. The official description of this product on the Apple website described it as follows: “The red icon on your iPhone or iPod Touch always reminds you (and others when you show them) that you were able to afford this. It’s a work of art with no hidden function at all.” As the commentary on the Fox News item that reported this put it, “The app displays a glowing red gem on a user’s iPhone screen for the sole purpose of proving to onlookers one is of the moneyed class. That’s all it does” (Fox News 2008). In the event this app only remained available for a few days before it was withdrawn from sale, by which time a mere eight people had bought one, although many more clicked on the sale site apparently under the impression that it was a joke.
