Unlikely Rock Star Earns $4.1 Million For 13 Song Performance
Posted January 4, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Let’s face it – some people simply have too much money.
In the same week we discovered the staggering sums C.E.O.s of some companies are making, comes this story out of Russia.
It’s about a man you likely never heard of named Vladimir Potanin. He made a fortune in the mining business in the eastern country and is a shining example of just how strongly Communism has been pushed into the background over there. He’s Russia’s ninth richest man, with assets of over a billion dollars.
So on New Year’s Eve he decided to throw a big party at his private estate for about 300 invited guests.
And to make sure it was a memorable start to 2007, he unveiled the night’s entertainment – pop singer George Michael.
The 43-year-old was reportedly paid an astounding $4.1 million Cdn. to entertain the small crowd, and was picked up in a private jet and personally flown to the site for his set.
The entire thing lasted about 75 minutes and included only 13 songs, before Michael was whisked back to England around 5am, with his bank account bolstered with the huge cheque. That’s more than $315,000 per song.
It’s a good thing he wasn’t asked to do an encore – even a billionaire might not have been able to afford that.
Still, the singer may need that money to replace some of his equipment. Immediately after the private show, Michael lost an unknown amount of the technology he brought with him for the performance to a fire.
That tragedy aside, his effort is believed to be the largest amount ever paid to a star for a single performance.
But it’s not without precedent. Christina Aguilera was once paid $2.2 million Cdn. to sing at the wedding of another Russian multi-millionaire. What did she do for all that cash? Belt out only three songs – for just over $733,000 per number.
And someone paid $1.75 million last year for a private Elton John concert featured in a Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue. The proceeds of that 90 minute show went to benefit the singer’s foundation that fights AIDS.
Sign up for a del.icio.us account here to save your bookmarks for free online.
