The Hilarious Prank Elvis Presley Played On His Friends Using McDonald's Gift Certificates

The King of Rock and Roll was known, amongst a long list of other traits and quirks, to be a prankster. Often, the fielders of Elvis Presley's humor were those whom he was around the most — his entourage. The Memphis Mafia, as his inner circle was called, was also showered with lavish gifts, with Elvis famously buying cars, bikes, jewelry, and more for those closest to him, supplemented with hefty cash bonuses during the holidays. In fact, he even bought his maid-turned-cook, Mary Jenkins, who made Elvis' favorite foods personally for over a decade, a three-bedroom home. Not just any cook, it is Jenkins who, after multiple failed trials, perfected what became the king's iconic fried banana and peanut butter sandwich, second only to Elvis' favorite sandwich, which used an entire loaf of bread.

The King's love for food, gifting, and pranks intersected one holiday season when his entourage got quite the opposite of the lavish gifts they expected. For Christmas, after hearing members of his entourage discussing their holiday bonus, Elvis got them McDonald's gift certificates. Considering the opulent gifts that were the norm, this might've been acceptable if he'd gotten his entourage something like, say, the elusive McGold Card, which entitles holders to free McDonald's meals for life. Instead, the gift certificates Elvis gave his entourage, seemingly in lieu of a Christmas bonus, were worth just 50 cents! There was probably some (slightly nervous) laughter all around, but the usual expensive gifts followed the prank.

It was during the Christmas season of 1971 that Elvis went out and bought a bunch of 50-cent McDonald's Christmas gift certificates for members of his entourage. The fast food outlet was near his iconic home, Graceland, in Memphis, and was one that the King himself seemingly ate at from time to time. A few weeks later, he received a letter from the president of the local McDonald's thanking him for purchasing the gift certificates for his inner circle, despite them being a prank.

A few decades after Elvis' death, one of these 50-cent McDonald's certificates actually surfaced at an auction alongside many of the icon's personal effects, including his American Express card, wedding ring, and more. The certificate under auction, which was expected to sell for several hundred dollars, was given by Elvis to his cousin, Billy Smith, as part of the prank he played on the Memphis Mafia.

As lean as a 50-cent McDonald's certificate may seem, and definitely not worth several hundred dollars unless associated with someone as iconic as Elvis Presley, the modest fast food gift coupon could actually have gotten the holder a decent snack at the time with its 50-cent value. Considering you could buy McDonald's entire menu for $2 in the 1950s, and accounting for prices rising over the next two decades, one could still get a burger or a large order of fries for 50 cents in the 1970s.