The reaction of cationic platinum aqua complexes 2 [Pt(C6H2{CH2NMe2}(2)-E-4)(OH2)](X') X' = SO3CF3, BF4) with alkyl halides RX gave various air-stable arenium complexes 3-5 containing a new C-C bond (R = Me, 3; Et, 4; Bn, 5). Electron-releasing oxo-substituents on the aromatic ligand (E = e.g., OH, b; OMe, c) enhance the reactivity of the aqua complex 2 and were essential for arenium formation from alkyl halides different from MeX. This process is initiated by oxidative addition of alkyl halides to the platinum(II) center of 2, which affords (alkyl)(aryl) platinum(IV) complexes (e.g., 9, alkyl = benzyl) as intermediates. Spectroscopic analyses provided direct evidence for a subsequent reversible 1,2-sigmatropic shift of the alkyl group along the Pt-C-aryl bond, which is identical to repetitive C-arenium-C-alkyl, bond making and breaking and concerted metal reduction and oxidation, Temperature-dependent NMR spectroscopy revealed DeltaH degrees = - 1.3 (+/- 0.1) kJ mol(-1), DeltaS degrees = +3.8 (+/- 0.2) J mol(-1) K-1, and DeltaG degrees (298) = -2.4 (+/- 0.1) kJ mol(-1) for the formation of the arenium complex 5b from 9 involving the migration of a benzyl group. The arenium complexes were transformed to cyclohexadiene-type addition products 7 or to demetalated alkyl-substituted arenes, 8, thus completing the platinum-mediated formation of a sp(2)-sp(3) C-C bond which is analogous to the aromatic substitution of a [PtX](+) unit by an alkyl cation R+. The formation of related trimethylsilyl arenium complexes 6 suggests arenium complexes as key intermediates, not only in (metal-mediated) sp(2)-sp(3) C-C bond making and breaking but also in silyl-directed cyclometalation.