Lord Sugar says American Express refused to increase his credit-card limit despite his estimated £1.138 billion fortune, leaving the famously outspoken businessman furious with the company’s decision.
The 79-year-old Apprentice star said he spent around an hour on the phone with American Express and was transferred between four different people while trying to get his spending limit raised. He eventually reached a representative in Brighton who, according to Sugar, recognized who he was and was familiar with his financial position.
That apparently made no difference. Sugar said the representative still could not approve his request because it was rejected “due to their system,” prompting him to take his frustration public on X.
The complaint quickly produced a different question from followers: why would somebody worth more than £1 billion need a higher credit-card limit in the first place? Sugar’s answer was characteristically blunt, he said he does not carry bags of cash around and needs a card for the same basic reason other people do.
Sugar Says He Spent an Hour Being Passed Between Four People
I spent a hour on the phone with American Express. I was past to 4 different people. I was asking for an increase in my credit limit. Finally I got to speak to a person in the UK at Brighton who knew who I was and my financial status. However my request was refused due to their…
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) August 10, 2026
Sugar described the experience on X on Monday, saying what should have been a request to increase his credit limit became a lengthy telephone call with American Express. He said he was transferred between four representatives before eventually reaching an employee at the company’s Brighton operation. “My request was refused due to their system,” Sugar wrote, according to The Sun, which also reported that American Express had been approached for comment.
People Wanted to Know Why a Billionaire Needed More Credit
DO PRACTICE BEING AN IDIOT. I DON’T WALK AROUND WITH BAGS FULL OF CASH. I NEED A CREDIT CARD TO BUY THINGS . https://t.co/Y8Tps9GkKu
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) August 10, 2026
Once Sugar made the dispute public, some of the attention shifted away from American Express and toward the billionaire himself. One user questioned why someone worth around £1 billion would need a credit card at all, while another jokingly offered to lend him £20 if he was struggling to make it through the month.
Sugar did not take the jokes quietly. He told one person that he does not walk around with bags full of cash and wrote in capital letters: “I NEED A CREDIT CARD TO BUY THINGS.” In another response, Sugar insisted that he was not complaining because he needed money. “I AM NOT MOANING JUST EXPOSING WHAT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS AMEX ARE,” he wrote.
Amex Says Even a Credit-Limit Increase Is Not Guaranteed
American Express’ own UK guidance helps explain how someone with significant wealth can still receive a rejection without the decision necessarily establishing anything about their overall net worth. According to Amex’s credit-limit FAQ, customers can request an increase through the company’s app or online account as long as the requested limit remains within the maximum allowed for that particular card product.
The company states that it reserves the right not to provide an increase if a customer does not meet its eligibility criteria. A separate American Express guide says lenders consider factors including credit history, existing credit limits, income and existing debt when determining a credit limit.
Property Has Been a Major Part of His £1.138 Billion Fortune
The 2026 Sunday Times Rich List estimates his fortune at £1.138 billion, ranking him 146th among Britain’s wealthiest people and families. The Times reported that his estimated wealth increased by £37 million from the previous year.
Sugar first built his reputation through electronics company Amstrad, which he founded in 1968. He sold the company to BSkyB for £125 million in 2007. Property subsequently became a major source of his wealth.
His wider business interests have operated through companies under the Amshold group, including substantial property investments. His public profile expanded considerably through The Apprentice, which he has fronted since the BBC version began in 2005.