Joining Fee: $18,745 (Lifetime Membership) Annual Fee: $31,243
Just becoming a member of London’s Groucho Club costs over $15,000, plus an additional registration fee. The elite women-only club of publishers was established in the 1980s and hails itself as the female answer to the “stuffy gentlemen’s clubs”.
The club prides itself on a “maverick ethos” and expects its members to work in the arts and media. One can only join if they are nominated by two members and approved by the club’s committee.
Chicago Yacht Club, Chicago
Joining Fee: Unknown Annual Fee: $4,000
Chicago, Illinois home to the best freshwater sailings in the world, and there is no one place better than and Chicago Yacht Club. This is the club that takes full advantage of that.
The prestigious club hosts the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, an event that brings over 3,000 sailors from the massive region that stretches along the shores of Lake Michigan and Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. Notable members include Robert Halperin and William Parks, the bronze medalist from the 1960 Olympics.
Club 1930, Milan (Invitation Only)
Entrance Fee: Unknown
Club 1930, as the name suggests has no website, not even a telephone number. It, in fact, can only be entered through a secret door in an ominous-looking bar. The next challenge is the doorman, and good luck going through him.
Only then might you reach the mere possibility of gaining a membership card that is only visible under UV light. The interior has been styled to look like a prohibition-era speakeasy — the perfect spot for secret parties and ambitious networking.
San Diego Yacht Club, San Diego, California
Joining Fee: $5,000 Annual Fee: Unknown
The San Diego Yacht Club crews and boats have earned the America Cup two times. New York Yacht Club is another club to take home the highly sought after Auld Mug. The club also runs one of the most thriving youth programs in the country, a fantastic training ground for blossoming sailors, which is of course mostly the kids of the more grown-up ones.
Want more? Participate in the Sir Thomas Lipton Cup, a prestigious regatta held annually since 1904. Don't get too excited though, the club limits themselves to only allowing 100 people in its clubhouse.
The American Club, Hong Kong
Joining Fee: $438,000 Annual Fees: $2,570
Battling your way up the long ladder to the American Club is well worth it in the end. Accessing the club involves a rigid interview with the Board of Directors for this Hong Kong establishment. This place embodies aristocratic chic and is a hub for ex-pats who are part of the world of finance, business, and politics.
The state of the art facilities includes banquet halls, top-notch fitness centers, and private lounges. Good luck getting in, there is quite the waiting list.