My plan to get rich:

1. File necessary papers to form a "bank holding company."

American Express won approval Monday to transform itself into a bank holding company, making the giant marketer of credit cards eligible for an infusion.

2. Ask a lobbyist (any lobbyist, apparently) for the Treasury business liaison's phone number.

Mr. Mason, 32, a lanky Texan in black cowboy boots who once worked in the White House for Karl Rove, shook his head over the dozens of phone calls and e-mail messages he gets every week. “I was telling a friend, ‘this must have been how the Politburo felt,’ ” he said.

3. Be persistent in my request for a capital infusion; the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

“Jeb is like the customer service agent at Verizon when the power lines go down,” said Robert S. Nichols, president of the Financial Services Forum, a trade group for big institutions like Citigroup, Fidelity and Allstate Insurance, some of which have received federal money.

4. But be patient, because they got the money for me.

Despite the line outside its door, the Treasury is not worried about running out of money, according to a senior official.

And voila! I am an entrepreneur who has created wealth! For me!