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“Somebody That I Used to Know” made Gotye—Australian musician Wally de Backer—an international star, but public sources do not establish how much money he personally earned or kept. Reporting says royalties were shared with the heirs of Luiz Bonfá, whose song “Seville” was sampled, and that Gotye did not monetize the hit’s video with YouTube ads. He later described choosing creative work over spending his time on money and legal disputes, and continued making music, including with his band The Basics.
Did Gotye really earn a fortune from the song?
There is no reliable, verified figure for Gotye’s personal earnings or net worth in the sources available here. The song’s enormous reach and commercial success are not the same thing as a public accounting of what its writer and performer received after royalties, rights, expenses and other arrangements.
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So “earned him a fortune” is a headline framing, not an established balance-sheet fact. Online net-worth estimates should not be treated as confirmed figures, and the reporting does not substantiate claims that Gotye “turned down millions.”
Why were royalties shared with Luiz Bonfá’s heirs?
“Somebody That I Used to Know,” released on Gotye’s album Making Mirrors, samples Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfá’s “Seville.” Reporting says royalties were shared with Bonfá’s heirs. The available account does not establish an exact percentage or dollar amount, so neither should be presented as settled fact. iHeartRadio’s 2017 report discusses the sample and royalty story.
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What did Gotye choose not to monetize?
The same report says Gotye did not allow advertising monetization on his YouTube channel for the song’s video. That is a specific choice about YouTube advertising; it does not show that he gave up all income from the song or reveal the total he might otherwise have received.
Gotye explained his priorities this way: “I decided it made more sense to focus on creative things and not get hung up on money and lawyers and courts.” The statement describes his preference, not a quantified estimate of money earned or declined. Read the iHeartRadio report.
How big was the hit?
The song’s success was exceptional, but the available milestones should be understood in their historical context rather than mistaken for a current count. In 2019, APRA AMCOS recognized “Somebody That I Used to Know” on its “1,000,000,000 list,” identifying Gotye and publisher Origin Music Publishing in connection with the award. That is the organization’s recognition of a billion-view milestone, not a live view total. APRA AMCOS’s announcement records the milestone.
In a 2019 retrospective, APRA AMCOS also noted that the song won APRA Most Played Australian Work and APRA Song of the Year in 2012, while Gotye was named Songwriter of the Year. Its retrospective on Making Mirrors places those honors in the album’s history.
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What happened to Gotye after the song became a hit?
He did not simply disappear from music. Later accounts describe him continuing creative work, including with The Basics, the band he is part of, as well as other projects. These are dated accounts rather than a complete picture of his present-day schedule; they do not establish his current activities or residence. ELLE’s interview and ABC News Australia’s 2012 interview offer context on his music and the period surrounding the hit.
In the 2012 ABC interview, Gotye said: “I will feel a bit overwhelmed by all the challenges and the feeling of just kind of constantly having do something for my career.” The comment reflects how he described the demands of success at that time, not a claim that he quit performing or recording.
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What the public record does—and does not—show
- Established: the song was a major international hit, appeared on Making Mirrors, and received a billion-view milestone recognition from APRA AMCOS in 2019.
- Reported: the “Seville” sample led to royalties being shared with Bonfá’s heirs, and Gotye declined YouTube advertising monetization for the song’s video.
- Not established: Gotye’s total personal earnings, a verified net worth, the precise royalty share, or the current view count.
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