I came across this old Esquire article written by Tom Chiarella in 2003 and have shared it with some friends recently. It's a fun read. Basically the premise is this: what can the magical $20 bill buy you? Access? Preferential treatment? Better seats? Chiarella goes on a quest to find out.

There isn't much in the world that can't be had with the timely application of a simple twenty. Let loose with a roll of bills, our author confronts some of a great city's most formidable closed doors. Guess what he got from the one-hour-photo guy?

Have you ever tried to grease the wheels with a Jackson? What did it get you? Was it worth it?