# @benzinga on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C_bRHseuUMt
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/22794845-benzinga-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/legacy-do/fa9dedb1b0a0c17742389da381c524bafa460268f18b93b3252d38948960e549.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-09-02T19:12:24.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Benzinga | News That Moves (@benzinga) — https://gondola.cc/benzinga

## Caption

Imagine flying anywhere in the world for free, anytime you want, and taking someone with you. Sounds like a dream, right? This dream became a reality for Mark Cuban when he purchased an American Airlines lifetime Airpass for $125,000 at just 29 years old.

The pass allowed him and a companion to fly first-class anywhere, anytime, for life. But that’s not all – if the flight were full, someone else would have to be removed to accommodate Cuban. One day, that “someone else” happened to be basketball legend Magic Johnson.

Cuban shared the unbelievable story in a 2013 interview on The Howard Stern Show. He lived a high life after selling his first company, MicroSolutions, for $6 million. He had just purchased the Airpass on a whim after a night of celebration.

During one flight, the airline needed to make room for Cuban and his companion, and the unlucky person booted off the plane was none other than Magic Johnson. According to Cuban, Johnson had no idea why he was being bumped and likely didn’t realize it was because of Cuban’s Airpass– “I’ve said it to him, but he doesn’t remember,” Cuban reflected later when talking to Johnson.

Although American Airlines eventually realized selling these passes was a financial disaster and discontinued the program, Cuban’s lifetime pass, which he later transferred to his dad, is a testament to the crazy, once-in-a-lifetime deals that were possible back then.

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- **Likes:** 2,985
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- **Comments:** 14

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Benzinga | News That Moves | @benzinga | https://gondola.cc/benzinga | Brand |
| Jacob Shipley | @okcmayor | https://gondola.cc/okcmayor | Director of Social Media |

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