Amaya Toman If you know at least a little bit about the history of the iOS App Store, you surely have not missed the mention of an app called I Am Rich in the past. As the name suggests, it was a very expensive app – it cost $999,99 – but its purpose was not clear enough. Most people assumed that it was a clear attempt on the part of its creators to get as much money as possible from users who wanted to show the whole world by owning the application that they simply have what it takes. However, the developer of the app defended it, saying that it is art. What is the full story of the controversial I Am Rich?
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Apple removed the I Am Rich app from the App Store in August 2008. The main reason was a growing number of complaints about the app's prohibitively high price and complete unusability. German developer Armin Heinrich, who created it, however, originally claimed that it was kind of a joke. “I've come across a few user complaints about iPhone app prices above 99 cents,” said Heinrich in an interview with The New York Times. "I consider it an art. I didn't expect too many people to buy the app, and I certainly didn't expect all the hype.” he admitted. A total of eight users eventually downloaded the I Am Rich app, one of whom later demanded a refund from Apple. Reviews of the application on technology servers, for understandable reasons, were twice not complimentary. The app basically did nothing at all - when it was launched, a red gem appeared on the iPhone's screen, and after users pressed it, a mantra appeared in capital letters that read “I am rich / I deserve it / I am good, healthy & successful” (yes, really dessert, no deserve see below).
The appearance of an application of this type in the App Store was a matter of time for many reasons. Steve Jobs, who initially did not agree with the idea of the App Store, was also confirmed by his fears that the online iPhone application store would be filled with low-quality and unnecessary content. At the same time, the controversy that the I Am Rich app has caused has also sparked a debate about the possibility of trying any app before the user pays for it. Apple rejected this option as a default rule, but the truth is that applications that offer this option are significantly more popular.
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After the scandal broke, Heinrich had to face a flood of reports, which were often very offensive. However, the negative response from the press, experts and the public did not prevent him from releasing another application called I Am Rich LE. This time it was priced at $8,99 and included a calculator and a grammatically correct version of the mantra from the first version. The application was released in 2009, but it was not nearly as popular as its predecessor. We can have it in the App Store still find today.
