David Phillips
publication date: Friday, January 20, 2017 (part of Winter 2017)
category: Controversy
clue: 12,150 cups of pudding can make you famous around the world, and you can go anywhere to find out.
explanation: In 1999, Healthy Choice ran a promotion in which the proof-of-purchase of their products could be redeemed for frequent flier miles. Phillips calculated that the return was greater than the investment, and bought 12 thousand cups of pudding to receive 1.25 million miles, making news and getting his story turned into an Adam Sandler movie. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, and Jesse King