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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →David Bowie’s estate was reported to be worth about $100 million when he died on January 10, 2016. That is a historical estimate attributed to his will, not a current valuation. In 2022, Warner Chappell acquired Bowie’s songwriting and publishing rights in a deal press reports estimated at more than $250 million, but the company did not disclose the price. The two figures measure different things and should not be added together.
What was David Bowie worth when he died?
CBS News, citing the Associated Press, reported on January 30, 2016, that Bowie’s will put his estate at about $100 million. The report said the 20-page will did not itemize the finances, so the figure is a reported estimate rather than a public balance sheet. Bowie died aged 69 on January 10, 2016. CBS News / Associated Press
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Sta | $22.46 | Buy on Amazon |
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Hunky Dory | $24.15 | Buy on Amazon |
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Let's Dance | $22.46 | Buy on Amazon |
What did his will provide for his family?
The will was filed under Bowie’s legal name, David Robert Jones. CBS/AP reported that his wife, Iman, received their SoHo home and half of the remainder of the estate, while his son Duncan Jones and daughter Alexandria “Lexi” Jones were each assigned 25 percent of the remainder. These percentages refer to the remainder, not to all gross assets. The American Bar Association’s account adds that the distributions involved trusts: Iman’s share was placed in a marital trust and Lexi’s share in a trust, while Duncan’s share passed outright. CBS News / Associated Press; American Bar Association
What was the 2022 Bowie catalog sale worth?
In January 2022, Warner Chappell Music acquired Bowie’s songwriting and publishing rights. Warner did not disclose the transaction’s financial terms. The Guardian reported an estimate of at least $250 million (£185 million), based on anonymous sources speaking to Variety; CBS News, citing Agence France-Presse, described trade-publication estimates as upwards of $250 million. Those are reported estimates, not a confirmed purchase price. The Guardian; CBS News / Agence France-Presse
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- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the fifth studio album by David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a fictional rock star named Ziggy Stardust.Rhino will be breaking out ‘breaking out’ this albums from the David Bowie ‘Five Years 1969 – 1973’ box as a standalone releases. Available on1LP 180g Audiophile vinyl
Publishing rights are not every music right or every asset
The reported deal concerned songwriting and publishing rights; it should not be described as a sale of all Bowie assets or as his estate’s current net worth. Reporting distinguished those publishing rights from recorded-music arrangements: Warner had separately added recordings from 2000 through 2016 to recordings it already handled from 1968 through 1999. The $250 million-plus figure is an estimate for the rights transaction, not a statement of total lifetime earnings or of what beneficiaries retained after the sale. The Guardian
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why there is no reliable current net-worth figure
The available reporting establishes neither a current total for the estate’s assets and liabilities nor how much of any sale proceeds remains after expenses, taxes, distributions, or other transactions. The 2016 estimate and 2022 catalog-sale estimate have different dates and refer to different things, so combining them would produce a misleading number. The V&A’s 2023 announcement that it had acquired more than 80,000 items from Bowie’s archive describes a cultural collection, not a cash valuation of the estate. CBS News / Associated Press; The Guardian; Associated Press
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- Hunky Dory is the fourth album by David Bowie.Rhino will be breaking out ‘breaking out’ this albums from the David Bowie ‘Five Years 1969 – 1973’ box as a standalone releases. Available on1LP 180g Audiophile vinyl
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- Breakout from the David Bowie 'Five Years: 1969-1973' box. Now available on 1LP 180g Audiophile vinyl.Aladdin Saneis the sixth album by David Bowie. The follow-up to his break through The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album he wrote and released as a bona fide rock star.
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