It's not a given. Depends on where you fly out of and what UA deems to be the cutoff at the airport (ie SFO, EWR, ORD might have higher spend requirements vs, for example, DFW). If you're spending the money on yourself and buying premium fares, you might make it. If you're spending a non-trivial amount of the deposited money on companion fares, your odds drop significantly. Don't fool yourself into thinking that UA is going to give GS status to someone who deposits $50k and then spends $25k on themself and $25K on another. They'll want another $50k for GS status at the start of the next contract period. What you spend on tickets for yourself is what UA will consider for GS status after the contract period.