With the King of Freeloaders and his quest for free birthday gifts

Is it your birthday today? Maybe you'll get some presents.

Perhaps your email inbox is also full of messages from various retailers wishing you a happy birthday and inviting you to come into the store to pick up a free birthday gift. That's exactly what happened to Clint Svatos, a 38-year-old American. And nothing could make him happier, reports The Wall Street Journal .

“On his birthday, Clint Svatos makes it his business to be a competitive freeloader. Every year, he dedicates his day to exacting revenge on big business. It's a race that requires hours of careful preparation, a well-formed battle plan, and a high tolerance for blood sugar spikes.”

His goal: to beat his personal record of 35 gifts collected last year. “The real fun really starts on the big day,” the American daily explains. “Before that, Clint estimates around fifteen hours of time spent sifting through emails, reinstalling each brand’s loyalty apps, racking his brains to recover his login details and passwords, and reading the dreaded terms and conditions of each reward to make sure he meets the required conditions. Before the big departure, he meticulously prepares a spreadsheet, taking notes to plot his itinerary.”

Along the way, he takes the opportunity to refuel with... free coffees, since it's his birthday. A necessity, to digest and understand the effect on his body of the 14 free desserts and 12 free burgers, tacos, and other popcorns ingested during the day. In total, he will have collected 40 products, including 10 drinks. "It's a perfect example of an activity that earns you more than what you invest," he considers.

But Clint isn't alone in this annual quest, to the point that companies are now becoming picky, reports The Wall Street Journal . The value of the product offered decreases year after year, or becomes correlated with an in-store purchase.