McMillions

By: James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte

Narrated by: Brian Lazarte, James Lee Hernandez

In this stranger than fiction story of the massive crime network that rigged the McDonald’s monopoly game for decades, unlock new, exclusive interviews and stories that couldn't make it into the HBO docuseries, McMillion$. Perfect for listeners of Argo, The Wizard of Lies, and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

In March of 2001, Federal prosecutor Mark Devereaux cold-called Rob Holm, the head of security for McDonald's Corporation. Without explanation, Devereaux asked that Holm and several other McDonald's senior executives plan a visit to the Jacksonville, Florida, FBI, and tell no one about their intended destination. It wasn't up for discussion. Upon their arrival, Devereaux watched them closely, looking at body language, checking for tells. To him, they were all potential suspects.

Once they were seated in an unremarkable conference room, sealed away in the hyper-secure FBI building, Devereaux began to lay out a shocking conspiracy, one that ran deep into McDonald's most beloved promotions: the Monopoly game. This is where they began to discover from 1989 to 2001, almost every high-value prize winner was actually illegitimate. But how could this happen and who all was behind it? A rookie FBI agent and a brilliant undercover operation led them to one man who brilliantly crafted a near-infallible nationwide conspiracy for fraud.

Expanded from the wildly popular HBO docuseries with major new interviews, McMillion$ traces this massive crime, the intricate web of lies that bolstered it, and the tireless work of the FBI agents that unraveled it all. It is a story littered with tragedy: families torn apart, betrayals, financial ruin, and one suspicious car crash. Yet, there are bright spots in the hijinks of the FBI agents and their co-conspirators. Ultimately, it is a story of what happens when the American dream goes very wrong.

©2024 James Lee Hernandez (P)2024 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"You will not believe how elaborate, intricate and insidious the McDonald Monopoly fraud of the 90's was. Brian and James weave a story so fantastic you can't believe it's real - but it is! Their HBO series was amazing but here they deliver in a way you can't miss."—Tom Segura, comedian and bestselling author of I'd Like to Play Alone, Please

Loved the details

This was a good book and informative. The narration was a little choppy but still listenable

Loved the juicy bonus material to the series!!

The series McMillions was not only shocking that it was a true story, but the people were all so intriguing, this gives that extra richness to who they are, and Agent Mathews is so extra,..hilarious.

Fascinating and Hilarious Story Marred by One (of two) Reader

The story of the misfits and characters who perpetrated the years-long fraud on McDonald’s Monopoly Game promotion, and the FBI agents who brought them to justice will elicit from listeners no end of delighted “no way”s, “woah”s and belly laughs.

McMillions is well crafted, solidly researched and highly amusing. James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte skillfully construct an initially balky narrative that mirrors the FBI’s mindset when the crime first came to its attention. As the decades long conspiracy comes into focus for the feds, we are taken back in time to the origins of the fraud and the oddballs who participated in the scheme and later regretted it.

The casual observer won’t know where and to what extent the authors embellish anecdotes, and it doesn’t matter. If just half the stuff in this book is true, we still have a fantastic story.

Until the listener gets to Chapter 7.

The book’s “jacket” says the authors read McMillions themselves, although it’s immediately obvious they don’t alternate chapters. Chapters 1-6 are great.

Starting at Chapter 7, however, the second author (I don’t know which is which and didn’t try to find out) renders the work almost unbearable. Anyone who has taken even the most basic course in public speaking is admonished on day one against “up-talking”. This is a mannerism whereby every sentence ends on a high note that sounds like a question.

Reader #2 of Mc Millions was apparently absent on day one of public speaking. Every sentence he reads is a three, four or five syllable phrase with a question at the end.

Can you. Imagine? What it’s like. To listen? To something. Like that? For several. Hours? It’s quite. Baffling? That Audible. Gave? This a green. Light?

Still, the story transcends these weak points and remains, all in all, a compelling listen.

Sounds like a tin can recording

Someone ate too much McDonalds. The story is extremely excellent. However it sounds very tinny. Sounds sometimes like it was recorded in a big empty restroom. Very hard at times to listen to.