Bowie Bonds - David Bowie Issued Bonds of Himself, Made a Cool $55 Million.

Yes that David Bowie of Ziggy Stardust fame issued what are now widely known as Bowie Bonds. He didn't actually sell off bits of himself, but instead created bonds based on ten years of revenues on his work up until 1997. In essence, he traded ten years of revenues on his songs for $55 million up front. Why might someone do this, you might ask (or you might not - $55 million is a pretty awesome sum of money)? In fact, he took that $55 million and bought up the rights to all of his songs. Clever guy.

Bowie, feeling all clever

So, how did Bowie Bonds perform? Not bad if you don't mind the risk. Throughout the ten years of their existence they guaranteed a 7.9% yield. Not too shabby for a bit of Bowie. Of course, this return was not without its risks. Bowie Bonds were eventually downgraded to just above junk status due to poor record sales. Not that David Bowie cares. He walked away with $55 million, after all, right before file sharing mania hit. Still want a Bowie Bond just to say that you own one? Unfortunately, they aren't for sale to individual investors.

Although David Bowie was one of the first people to do this kind of thing with intellectual property, he was certainly not the last. These bonds, also called Pullman Bonds, have been created for other artists as well. Famous artists with Bowie Bonds include James Brown and Iron Maiden (The first metal band to issue Bowie Bonds). There have also been rumors of Michael Jackson and Bob Marley Bonds.

Still curious? This site offers more details on this fascinating phenomenon. Who knows, maybe soon you'll be able to buy a piece of your favorite musician('s earnings).