McDonald's is the top fast food chain in the world, known for its affordable dollar menu. Yet one of its mascots, the masked Hamburglar, has made a career of stealing these cheap burgers for decades.
You may wonder how one profits from such questionable business practices.
See also: 15 Happy Meal Toys That Made Your McChildhood
Comedian Michael Ian Black got to the bottom of the Hamburglar's business strategy in a healthy debate with comic Mike Birbiglia on Twitter.
Hamburglar must have some income for housing, mask, etc. Why doesn't he just use a little of it to buy inexpensive McDonald's hamburgers?
@michaelianblack The actual Hamburglar got out of that racket years ago. Now he has a guy that does it for him.
@birbigs But the cost of hiring a guy to steal hamburgers HAS to exceed the value of the hamburgers. Terrible business strategy.
@michaelianblack It's a volume business. McDonalds serves BILLIONS. All Hamburglar has to do is steal roughly a million hamburgers a year.
@birbigs This makes sense, but after costs of transportation, warehousing, legal bills, etc, how much could he possibly make? Seems dumb.
@michaelianblack The problem is that he's a known thief (mask, silly hat). So it's hard to unload those burgers at retail. cc: @HarvardBiz
@birbigs @HarvardBiz Exactly!!! And the resale market for McDonald's hamburgers has to be TINY!!! I don't see how he's making any profit.
@michaelianblack @HarvardBiz I don't think ur getting that Hamburglar has NO COSTS and NO OVERHEAD. How much did that mask cost? A nickel?
@birbigs @HarvardBiz You think he steals a MILLION hamburgers a year, but has no costs? Where does he keep them? Refrigeration alone: $$$!
@birbigs @HarvardBiz The thing about the mask is probably a fair point, though.
@Wordsicle @birbigs @HarvardBiz Possibly, but McDonalds is such a buttoned-up operation, it seems difficult to get away with it.
Break down the math: McDonald's hamburger retail value: $1. Hamburglar steals a million. Retail value $1M, BUT...
Black market resale market for McDonald's hamburgers has to be pennies on the dollar. Even 20% is $200k. After costs...
(Employees, trans., legal, warehousing, masks, etc.) It has to be a razor thin profit margin. Some years he probably LOSES money.
With his managerial skills, Hamburglar would be MUCH better off opening his own McDonald's franchise.
Image: Flickr, sonofbreakit