Though it’s hard to remember now, Frank Reynolds wasn’t always a part of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In fact, he only became part of the show in the second season, when Danny DeVito joined on to help bolster the show’s lagging ratings.
Since then, Frank has become an undeniable part of the show’s appeal, and the many things that he’s wasted his money on have become their own sideshow. Here are the ten dumbest things he wasted his money on.
The Lamborghini
Most middle-aged men buy a Lamborghini in an attempt to bolster their flagging masculine credentials. While Frank would be exactly the type of guy that you’d expect to buy a nice sports car as part of a mid-life crisis, in this case, he buys this incredibly expensive automobile just to crash it on a whim, sending all of that money up in smoke. For being a man who loves his money, Frank really botched this one.
Donating Money To Animal Rights
One of Frank’s most endearing characteristics is his willingness to troll basically anyone, regardless of their politics, their creed, their religion, or their philosophy. In one notable instance, he actually donated a lot of money to an animal rights organization, all so that he could get invited to their dinner where he could unload on them. It’s a signature Frank move, of course, but it’s also an incredibly stupid way to spend one’s hard-earned money.
Buying the Property Next To the Bar - And Half The Bar
Though the bar is, of course, the central location for most of the show’s storylines, it’s notoriously unprofitable. One might wonder, then, why anyone would want to buy it, when it’s so clearly a waste of money. Cue Frank who, after the Gang almost loses the place to someone who buys part of the property, decides to buy it for himself. It’s definitely not the savviest business decision, and it definitely stands as one of Frank’s stupidest wastes of money.
Fight Milk
What can you say about Fight Milk, the shake that Charlie and Mac develop in an effort to make more money? Well, for one thing, it’s absolutely disgusting, and it ends up being a means for fighters to purge their bodies of excess weight.
One would think that this fact would be a warning sign to anyone foolish enough to think about investing in such an obviously toxic brew, but that doesn’t stop Frank, who pours some of his money into this ill-fated venture.
Record Breaking
Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow, even when it costs you an arm and a leg. This is clearly Frank’s philosophy when he pays for the Gang to travel across the country on a plane while getting absolutely trashed drinking numerous beers. You’d think that he’d at least want to spend his money on something that would see some of it come back to him in the form of investment, but this incident makes clear that for Frank money is made to be spent.
The Memory Loss Check
After Frank falls out of a window and cracks his head open, he ends up losing his memory, up to and including forgetting that he isn’t really Dee and Dennis’s father. As a result, he gives them a check. Unfortunately for them, he messes up the date, so that they aren’t able to profit from it. It’s bad enough that he did that, but you have to wonder about the judgment of a man who would give money to two of the worst people in Philadelphia, even if they are his kids.
Funding the Ski Resort
Frank, never one to let an opportunity to destroy the environment go by, decides to invest in a fracking venture. However, being Frank, he decides to go about it in his own way, including funding an elaborate scheme that engenders some truly bizarre events—including Dennis performing in a ski tournament and breaking his ankles.
You can’t help but think that there might have been an easier, more efficient way of making money through fracking.
When He Helped the Gang Trick Dee
Arguably one of the worst things that the Gang has ever done was tricking Dee into believing that she had made it as a comedy star (which is really saying something, considering how generally terrible they are). Once again, Frank seems to be willing to bankroll the whole thing, for no other reason really than to just punk Dee. It’s not only a stupid way to spend a lot of money; it’s also just plain wrong.
When He Tried to Hide His Money and Mac and Charlie Spent it on…Women
One of the key parts of Frank’s early story was his absolute loathing for his ex-wife, a loathing that led him to try to hide his money. Unfortunately, this led to Mac and Charlie finding it and spending it ill-advisedly on women and a limo. While to be fair it isn’t exactly Frank’s fault that it got spent in such a stupid way, he still deserves some part of the blame for being so willing to shaft his ex-wife.
Literally any scheme the Gang has
Sometimes, you have to wonder just where the Gang would be if they didn’t have Frank’s money to spend. Likewise, you have to wonder just what is going through Frank’s mind when he decides to bankroll so many of the Gang’s ridiculous (and often illegal) schemes. Maybe he does just for kicks, or maybe he really is losing it. Either way, it’s a really stupid way to spend so much money. Then again, considering how unscrupulous Frank has been in making it, perhaps it’s for the best.