Apple removed "I Am Rich" -- a $999.99 iPhone app that did nothing -- from its iTunes App Store less than a day after it went up. So was it worth German coder Armin Heinrich's time to make it?

Absolutely! In an email interview with the LA Times, Heinrich says he sold eight copies of the app -- six to Americans and two to Europeans. At $999.99 in the U.S. and €799.99 in the E.U., that's $5880 in net revenue for Heinrich -- after Apple's 30% cut -- and roughly $2520 for Apple.

We don't know if he'll get to keep any of that money -- it's possible Apple (AAPL) will refund angry buyers who feel they got ripped off, or swear they bought it by accident. It does prove that PT Barnum would have made a killing had he lived in the Web era.

Meanwhile, the Times article also confirms that Apple -- not Heinrich -- removed the app. And as with other apps it's removed, Apple didn't explain itself. "I have no idea why they did it and am not aware of any violation of the rules to sell software on the App Store," Heinrich said.

We can guess why -- it was a joke that smells like a scammy rip-off, and it's not the kind of bad-taste liability Apple wants in its brand new platform. But it might be a good idea for Apple to do a better job communicating with coders about why it's shutting them down.

See Also:

The iPhone App Store Rogues Gallery

Worthless, $1000 "I Am Rich" iPhone App Disappears

Apple's iPhone-App-Approval Mouse Falls Off Treadmill: Buy The $1000 App That Does Nothing