Pope Leo XIV received a modest but symbolic windfall of $8.65 from a long-forgotten PayPal account, delivered in person by Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs during a visit to the Vatican. The pontiff, who took a vow of poverty as a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, previously joked about his attempts to resolve a different financial issue over the phone before customer service disconnected him.
The small balance originated from a closed PayPal account tied to an old American bank account belonging to Robert Prevost before he became the first American pope. It had been transferred to Illinois’ unclaimed property division. Frerichs personally handed over documentation allowing the pope to reclaim the funds during a recent trip with other Illinois officials.
The lighthearted moment highlights the universal frustrations many people face with financial institutions. Pope Leo XIV, who earns a modest stipend as head of the Catholic Church, reportedly laughed and accepted the certificate. The treasurer’s office has returned more than $2.5 billion to over 2.5 million claimants since 2015, with the papal payout representing a tiny fraction of that total.
His bank may have hung up on Pope Leo last month, but no phone was needed today at the Vatican. Treasurer Frerichs presented Pope Leo with an I-Cash claim for $8.65, proceeds from an abandoned PayPal account the Pope left in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/rpL58D59H4
— Treasurer Michael Frerichs (@ILTreasurer) June 3, 2026
This story has captured public attention worldwide, serving as a reminder that even the most prominent figures can have lingering accounts from their past lives. Illinois officials noted they had been working to reunite the funds with their rightful owner after Prevost’s election as pope last year.
The anecdote adds a touch of everyday humanity to the leader of more than one billion Catholics, showing that some experiences truly transcend borders and titles.
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