It’s an unfortunate fact that official world record holders are not compensated for their achievements. Per the Guinness World Records website, their policy goes like this: “As the world’s unrivaled authority on record-breaking achievement, our role is to celebrate the world’s best, to inspire ordinary people and to entertain and inform. For these reasons, we do not pay record-breakers for their achievements or for carrying out a record title attempt. We are also unable to cover any expenses, offer sponsorship or provide equipment for anyone attempting a record.”

Not only are hopeful applicants unpaid for their time and effort, they actually have to front a fee in order to be considered for Guinness status. If you’re in a rush and want your attempt both witnessed and processed in under five months, Medium reports that there are several fees that must be paid to the organization: first, if you’re trying to set a record that doesn’t exist yet, the initial fee is $5. To break an existing record, it costs $800, and more if you’re setting a new one. Finally, once you’ve given it a go, you can either wait 12 weeks for Guinness to review your efforts, or pay them $650 to get it done in a week.