George Kamel - I Had 30 Minutes To Spend $1 Million

Episode Date: September 2, 2026

💵 Start your free budget today. Download the EveryDollar app!   Today, my team is challenging me to spend $1 million in 30 minutes without using AI or buying a house.   Next Steps: ��� 🎥 Watch my video This Money Challenge Will Change Your Life in 2026. • 📈 Are you on track with the Baby Steps? Get a free personalized plan.   Connect With Our Sponsors: • Go to Boost Mobile to switch today! • Get 20% off when you join DeleteMe. • Go to FAIRWINDS Credit Union for an exclusive account bundle! • Sign up with Privacy today and receive a $5 credit just for being a George Kamel fan.   Explore More From Ramsey Network: 🎙️ The Ramsey Show 🍸 Smart Money Happy Hour 💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights 🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 📈 EntreLeadership   Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My team has a challenge for me today, and all I know is that I'm supposed to open this envelope and send some jazz hands to our friends that delete me for sponsoring this video. It's as much as you're going to get out of me. I don't do jazz. I'm a blues man. You have 30 minutes to spend $1 million. Rules? You cannot buy a house, car, plane, or stocks. You cannot use AI. You cannot give money away. Good, because I didn't want to anyways. And jokes on you guys. Boat is not on this list. Your boy will be yachting for the next three months, at least. That's the challenge.

I have to do it. I have 30 minutes, and the clock starts now. Okay. All right, house. What isn't a house? What is in a car? You know when they're like, don't think of elephants, don't think of elephants, and all you think of is elephants, that's what I'm doing right now.

I'm like, what kind of house could I buy? Dang, it can't get a house. All right. The first thing that comes to mind, I have to spend a million dollars, I can't give it away, can't buy the big stuff, house car plane, or stocks. I assume that includes mutual funds. So we'll avoid that. I do think it would be fun to invest in a business, but not like a cool business.

I want to invest in like a young entrepreneur, like a lemonade stand type vibe. But I'm like, this kid's got, you know, some grit. he's going to make it. So I might invest in a business, but for now, I'm going to think through an experience. 61 unique things to do with friends backed by science. Now we're talking, we're getting somewhere. Because I'm not giving it away. If I'm just paying for this adventure, that it could include flights.

It says I can't buy a plane. Doesn't say it can't go on a plane. Thrift store adventure? Local art museums, guys, attend a conference together? What is this? Nerdville.com? Oh, it's Science of People. People.com. Recreate a gourmet meal at home. No. Really expensive experiences.

Experiences once in a lifetime. The problem is I need to find friends, I'm realizing. This is going really well. 13 of the world's most expensive luxury travel experiences. Now we're talking. Think, what would Dave Ramsey do? What would Dave Ramsey do? A private astronaut mission? Should we go full Katie Perry? Katie held up a daisy for the camera. Oh, I'm going to make so many people angry. I'm going to kiss the dirt when I get back home. At around 55 million per person, this isn't just expensive.

It's astronomical. I don't think they meant to be funny there. They just said it's astronomical. I don't think that's worth it. So I can't even take two people? Just me? Why go solo? Who's going to believe that I even went?

You know what I mean? All right? You float in zero gravity while watching Earth's been below. I feel like I can float in zero gravity. like a simulation for way cheaper and just put like a screen on that shows me the earth. I think I could be convinced. So I don't think that one's out. I don't have 55 million.

That is true. I only have one million. All right. The other one, four seasons, private jet timeless encounters. That doesn't sound fun. World of Wellness Private Jet Journey, 188 grand per person. Think of it as the White Lotus experience, but real and spending. Don't people die in the White Lotus?

I don't want a White Lotus experience. Virgin Voyages annual pass. Oh, how much would it cost to book an entire cruise ship? How much would it be to rent an entire cruise ship? Three-day voyage is a major undertaking and a million multi-million dollar price tag. Okay, that's out. And again, I would need to find like 2,400 friends, which is going to be very difficult. I don't even like that many people on planet earth. Well, I'd be friends with them. Okay, I can't use AI, but it never said I can't ask how to spend $1 million. What to do with $1 million,

how to spend a million dollars without actually buying anything. Well, now I'm curious. Edge of Space Flight, uh, I don't want to, space is overrated, I realized. Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian train trip, 75 grand. I don't know, trains feel like that's gonna,

you're gonna be pretty tired of trains after a little bit. Everest skydive? No, that's insane. It might as well be called skydye, because that's what's more likely to happen. A six-day trip to the, the South Pole. Why are we going to the coldest places on earth when we have all the free time and money in the world? Zero G flight with your friends. That's what I wanted. Fifty-seven grand.

You can book an entire aircraft with its crew and qualified zero-g instructors bring 11 of your best friends. So step one, find 11 friends. Just $943,000 to go. Oh, you think it'd be so easy? It probably would be if you weren't me. Great Himalaya Trail. No, I don't want to do anything that involves physical activity. The zero G is it because I can float, which is like the least amount of effort you can do when you literally take away gravity.

New York to Mumbai. Nah. Again, it was the Everest climb. Private Island Party in Musha K, the Bahamas, $156,000. Now that could be fun. What do I get? A paradise for those. Well, rent the whole island, pay $39 grand per night, minimum of four nights,

rolling to 156 grand. Boom. 156 grand for private island party. Sold. I don't know how many friends, but if I have the whole island, I feel like I can take a whole lot of people. All right. We're doing pretty good, guys. We're already 200 grand in. Okay, World Cruise. We already did like a fun, like tropical party. We have the zero G. What about most expensive? restaurants in the world. Wealthy gorilla. Let's see what wealthy gorilla has to say about this. Ooh, the Maldives.

That's it. $320 per person? This is crazy. They're literally in the ocean. With fish... I mean, this is basically the rainforest cafe. Can accommodate up to 14 guests and serve as a selection of fine dining experiences.

320 ahead. That really doesn't feel like that much. Tokyo, Japan. 370 per head. Oh, it goes up from here. Let me go down to the bottom to the number one. Sublimotion in Abiza, Spain, 2380 per head, 20 course tasting menu. How many heads are we talking?

You'll be waited by a team of 25 professionals. Once you make a reservation, I'm not seeing how many people. But let's say I take those, you know, whatever, 11 friends that I did the 0G flight with. Then I'm going to go calculator. Got to see how much this adds up to. It looks like there's at least 10 seats there. So I'll go 10 seats. All right.

That's easier math. 10 seats, 2380 ahead. I don't know how much flights would be, so let's add that too. So that's about $24,000 for Sublimotion. And then I need to search flights to Ibiza from Nashville. How much is this going to cost me? I'm already getting stressed. My million bucks is about to disappear.

We got a lot of planning to do. here. So let's say I do this in the fall. Gotta let my wife know. Yeah, you thought she was invited, didn't you? Sorry, ladies. This is a guy's trip. All right, 875 round trip per traveler. So I'm going to do the calculator again. 875 times my 10's friends.

All right, oh, that's easy math again. But okay, we're already here. Call that nine grand. So that puts us at, let's say, 35K. I don't know where we're staying is the problem. Because you're talking seven nights in a B. that feels expensive. Ibiza, Hotel, Seven Nights. We're spending a lot of time in Ibiza, guys.

I feel like I'm going to regret this. Ooh, there's an all-inclusive. There's island packages. Best hotels in Abiza for Poolside Peace. Isn't it Abitha? But I feel like you're going to punch me in the face if I pronounce it that way. So I'm not going to say that.

I'm just going to do it the American way. Why can't I... Are there no hotels in Abiza? This is crazy. Seven Pines Resort. that we'll stay at seven pines that sounds nice all right we're going September 5th to the 12th you guys really underestimated how exciting this would be for you where is the price description oh here we go oh it's in pounds i got to do more math standard okay you're getting standard sweets

guys 563 okay let me do that to usd 655 that's 60 okay so now I'm going back to my calculator That is 656. Everyone's getting their own room because we're growing adults. So it's 11 people, if it's me and 10 friends. Didn't think about that. All right. That's 7 grand right there. So that's about 43 grand.

I'll add in my other flights. That's about 43 grand for this Ibiza trip. To one of the best restaurants. Or most expensive. I don't even know if it's the best. It could be terrible. But it's expensive. Okay.

I still got a lot, a long ways to go. Should I buy a yacht? I don't know how to drive a yacht. I could get a driver, though. could hire a whole crew. What's something really nerdy I've always wanted to buy? Oh, you know what I would do? I would create a music studio filled with the finest of instruments.

How much does it cost to build a music studio? I imagine there's a wide range here. Can start around $5,000. Professional setup can exceed $25,000 or even reach $250,000 for high-end facilities. All right, I think I can go with a ballpark here and say $100,000 would get me the build-out plus some sweet instruments. Some nice guitars, some Gibson's, some fenders, some Martins in there. Maybe a banjo, a mandolin, a ukulele, as you can see on my wall.

Studio Bill Cost. Okay. Okay, that could be $100,000. Oh, what's this? A clue? What? Read the ads? Oh, ads.

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Back to this very difficult challenge. I'm at, let's see, let's use my handy-dandy calculator. I got 57 for the Gero Zero-G flight. Got 156 for the private island party Probably need to add another 20 grand for travel Didn't think about that And then we're still going to Abiza Which is another 43 grand

Plus my studio buildout That's another 100 grand We're left for the measly $376,000 376 Okay, so I got food Got some travel Oh you know what

I gotta look up some luxury purses I'm long overdue. What is the most expensive, highly desired luxury purse? I cannot tell you how miserable it is not being able to use AI. I got to go through all these websites. I hate websites I just realized. Okay, top 10 most expensive purse brands in the world. Let's do that.

21 most expensive handbags in the world. From $30K to $10 million. Who was buying a $10 million handbag? Who hurts you that bad? in life, that that's your move. Oh, that's ugly. Mark Jacobs, Carolyn, crocodile handbag, I wouldn't say that's timeless.

That looks like you skinned Barney and made a purse out of it. No, thank you. Fendi, that does not look like a $38,000 bag. Louis, tribute, patchwork bag. Okay. That looks at your most unhinged aunt made that during COVID. Oh, Beyonce has it. tacky. I am Beyonce always.

Judith Lieber Precious Rose. Okay, that's classier, 92 grand. Louis Vuitton Urban Satchel bag. Why, the more expensive they get, the stupider they look. This pumpkin bag from Louis, 150 grand. Hermes, now we're talking. That's a nicer purse. 222 grand.

Hermes. I guess Hermes is the nicer purse, right? All right. Hermes. I think it's Hermes. Because I heard it from Rachel Cruz. And she knows luxury. Well, now I got to Google how to pronounce Hermes.

Hermes. In English, Hermes. The correct pronunciation in English is Hermes. In French, it's pronounced Hermes. I don't know. Now we're on YouTube videos. See, we're killing a lot of time here. We are looking at how to pronounce the name of this French brand.

In French, it is said as Hermes. Hermes. Hermes. Hermes. Here's the Hermes Birkenbag worth it. Your best bags and biggest disappointments. How to buy an Hermes? How to buy?

There's a whole tutorial on how to buy one of these things. You can't just buy it? This is some pretentious rich people crap right here. 51 grand and I'll add in Tennessee tax here. $51,000 times $1.0975. You've got to include those. county taxes. 55-972, we're going to call it 56 grand. We'll give them a nice tip for all of their help

getting us this purse. 56, which I was at 376, minus 56. That brings us down to 320 left. How much time do I got? You have 12 minutes left. 12 minutes, 300 grand. Okay, I got my wife a really nice purse. I did a good thing there. Oh, a show I've always wanted to go to? Like Broadway? Oh, that's a good one. Okay, let's see. What's an expensive show? I'm trying to think of what would be like a musical artist.

Oh, Sphere. Vegas Sphere show. I'm typing so fast because I'm getting nervous. You two, the Eagles, Metallica, and the Backstreet Boys. You're giving me not a lot of great options here, guys. Come on. The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere? No doubt live at the Sphere?

Are they just letting anybody there? Can I do an act at the sphere at this point? Shows and tickets. Okay, are Backstreet Boys out? Because I would like, oh, there we go. I'm going to Backstreet with my wife. I sent her once without me, and it won't happen again. I'm going to meet Kevin.

Oh, Josh Grobin was special guest Jennifer Hudson? That's at Bridgetown Arena. Okay, I'm just going to pick a random date here just so we can get a vibe on what it's going to cost me. I probably can't even buy tickets. Oh, gosh. It's not going to let me buy tickets. tickets? Oh, it is. Okay. All right, this is perfect. Section 202, row 18. I'm going to go best seats. Let me see what the best seats are in the house. General admission floor. No,

section 106. I've actually heard two, the two section is better. It will not let me. Okay, here we go. 207. Two tickets. Subtotal. 1185, 90. Easy money right there. I'm going to go, I don't know, the fees are probably $4,000. That's what they're not telling. I gotta sign in. We're gonna make some assumptions here. I'm going two grand. We'll buy some merch. Whatever we gotta do.

Two grand. Let's call it another grand for flights. Another grand for hotel. And another grand for some good shows in Vegas while we're out there. That is a total of five grand for me and my wife. You're not invited. Now we're down to 315. Wow.

It's so much fun to have basically unlimited money. And people who are like a million dollars, not that much. Guys, I'm having a good... good time right now with money to spare. Okay, what would I buy? What would I buy? Experiences stuff. What does Arthur Brooks say you can spend money on it will bring happiness? Okay, I can't invest it pretty much. I can't give it away and I can't save it. So I can spend it on things that aren't houses, cars, planes and experiences. There's got to be an experience. Can they put me in a movie or something? Can you pay for that? They should do that, almost like a make-a-wish, but for

rich people who just want to be in a movie. Maybe that's how Trump ended up in Home Alone, too. That's how he did it. You just pay someone off. Their windmills are causing whales to die in numbers never seen before. A shopping spree would be fun. Costco shopping spree. All right, here's the deal. This is going to sound crazy, but I have a plan. $315,000. I'll take 10 of my friends plus me, plus my wife. That's 12 of us. So that's 26. I'm thinking, all right, this is going to sound crazy. What if I did? I got gift cards. Everybody got $20,000 to spend at Costco, and they have to spend it in that one trip at Costco. Divided? Okay, oh, times 12. That's 240 grand. Boom, you didn't say I couldn't buy gift cards. Suckers. That's your fault. That's on you, team.

315 minus 240 We are down to a measly $75,000 Okay Here's the best part I don't know who to phone because I don't have friends But I will call my wife And see if she answers What if she's just yelling at me immediately?

Why are you calling me? What if she's taking a nap? Your call has been forwarded Oh shoot, do I call Dave? No, Dave's on the show right now He's doing the Ramsey show I can't call Rachel Wait, she's on a break of the show Rachel, pick up.

Okay. Come on, Rachel, come on. Don't let me down. Yes. Hey, quick, before you get back on the Ramsey show, if I had $75,000 and you had to spend it in 10 minutes, what would you buy? You can't buy a house, car plane, or stocks. You can't give it a way.

Oh, I did this. I did this game on Instagram. Oh, well, what would you do? Oh, and I did a million dollars online. Yeah, yeah, I'm already down to 75. I blew a lot of money on stupid stuff. Oh, have you bought anything from Whitney so far? I bought her a beautiful Hermes purse, those $51,000.

Oh, that's what I was going to say, Hermes and Armaz bag. $51,000 for that. I already have a private island party. I'm going to an underwater restaurant and a Beezza. I got a zero-g flight for me and my friends. We're doing a $20,000 Costco shopping spree, and I still have $75K left. What would Rachel do? They said I can't buy a car.

Can't buy a car. No plane. Now, they didn't say boat, but I feel like the boat is implied if you can't buy a house or a car. Five minutes left. Okay. I'm going to say I would go to an interior designer and put down a deposit for furniture and pick it out later. Luxury furniture with the, oh, can you do a deposit? All right.

That's not a no on the list. Okay. Yeah. You've been massively helpful. And that's like the deposit for her fee and furniture and redo a room. You know what I didn't think about? Knowing why didn't I get a pool? It didn't say I couldn't get a pool.

I'm building a pool. I would do a pool. I think that's a great idea. Thank you. Get the pool. All right. Yeah, do a pool. It may cost you more than that.

It'll be $150,000, but I'll take away some gift cards for the Costco people. Oh, perfect. Okay, that's good. All right. Thank you. Good job. Well done. Bye-bye.

Absolutely. Do an inground. Oh, 100%. You think I was going to go above ground pool? No, no. A concrete end ground versus like a, what's the kind that's like a mold that they set down in there? Oh, I know what you're talking about. People know.

Do the real thing. Okay, I'm doing the real thing. Can I say 200 grand would get me that plus a hot tub with all the nice landscaping and... Could you do a pool for 200 with like... She's asking Dave Ramsey. Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. Dave says absolutely.

Done. Thank you. Enjoy the show. Beautiful. Bye. Bye. Bye. I got to phone a bonus friend, Dave Ramsey, who confirmed 200 grand would do it.

Okay, so here's what I have to do, though. We're going down to 10 grand for the Costco shopping spree, which I know is. upsetting to my friends, but I still think that's a pretty good life. And that buys me back 120 grand on top of my 75, which my friend gets me to 195 grand for an in-ground pool with a hot tub, beautiful landscaping and pool furniture. And I rest my case, a million dollars was spent. All right, flag on the play five-yard penalty. Here's what went wrong. During the chaos of this video, my math was incorrect to the tune of like $268,000. that I didn't spend.

But hey, just call me frugal. Okay, I have a hard time spending a million dollars in 30 minutes. And so I just wanted to let you guys know, if you're doing the math at home, I was wrong. And it was actually very freeing to admit that. I feel very vulnerable with you guys right now. I still blame the producers somehow, even though I was the one crunching the numbers, and I pride myself on number of crunching, don't I? You watch this channel, you know.

I go, I'm a math nerd. Clearly I'm not. Clearly, I'm a little bit cooler than a math nerd. and I got the numbers wrong. So just want to let you guys know. Love you. T, T.TYL. Keep watching. I'm not doing the outro. The total time was 27 minutes in one second.

27 minutes and one second is what it took me to spend a million dollars. And let's recap on what I spent. A zero G flight for me and 11 friends, $57,000. A private island party. I rented out the entire private island with the crew, staff, and everything, $156 grand. A full music studio building.

filled out with really nice instruments, 100 grand. We're going to Sublimotion, which is one of the finest restaurants on Earth, underwater in Abiza. That's 24 grand, but 43 grand after you factor in, you know, hotels, flights, all that for a bunch of my friends. Then we have the Costco shopping spree, 12 of us, 10 grand gift card per person. That's going to be a good time. And finally, we have the Hermes purse. That's 51 grand plus tax for my beautiful wife, who deserves so many more purses than that.

That's the one I can afford today. And finally, a pool in-ground with a hot tub with beautiful landscaping and the furniture at $195 grand. Grand total, don't do the math, because it might be slightly off. One million dollars spent in 30 minutes. Let me know in the comments what you would have done differently, how you would spend a million dollars if you could not buy a house car plane or stocks. You could not use AI and you couldn't give money away. I'm curious to hear your thoughts. That was harder than I thought it would be, to be honest.

And now it's your turn for a challenge. I made a video breaking down a 30-day money challenge that will change your life this year and probably next. So click here to watch it next or use the link in the description below. That's it for today. Be sure to hit like on this video if you enjoyed it. Subscribe to the channel if you haven't already. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time.