While I appreciate and understand some out there who may find the initiation and membership fee for this card outrageously high relative to its perks, let me offer this. Aside from all of the excellent reasons already mentioned above, in my view, something I learned a long time ago is the simple notion that a person's "lifestyle is his/her lifestyle." To put simply, if one is used to living a certain way, whether that's with $1,000/month, $5,000/month, $10,000/month or $100,000/month, it's the lifestyle a person has become used to, normalized and becomes a sort of defacto minimum standard of living.

Regardless of the cost and however opulent it may appear to others, it's similar to how some are used to flying premium international F and couldn't imagine otherwise--it's their lifestyle. Or, in certain hotels, some have become used to and find it normal to have certain suite--if not the same room--on each visit along with their preferred snack and/or drink waiting in the room the moment they enter--it's their lifestyle.

Again, while only speaking for myself, I think that's sort of the way it is this card--it's their lifestyle.