• DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    5 months ago

    In theory a modern artist, writer, musician, etc could become a billionaire from direct to customer sales, but I’ll believe it when it happens.

      • PaleRider@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        34
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Wasn’t Taylor Swift born into a wealthy family? That’s why she could take the time and chances to become a pop star. Not that I’m saying she isn’t talented, she obviously is, but a lot of talented poor kids don’t get that opportunity.

        • aStonedSanta@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Yeah. But I wonder if she’s the first billionaire off actual performance and content sales.

          • BakerBagel@midwest.social
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            13
            ·
            5 months ago

            Kanye supposedly was before he lost all his endorsements for openly being a Nazi. Artists dont actually own any means of production so they can very quickly lose everything.

            • GiveMemes@jlai.lu
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              7
              ·
              5 months ago

              Some do. Some, like Shaq or Ryan Reynolds (or Kanye) use their money to invest in other companies. Ryan Reynolds coming out and saying Nazi shit would probably be bad for Mint, just like Ye’s controversy was bad for Yeezy, just like Elon’s controversy is bad for Tesla.

              • BakerBagel@midwest.social
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                5 months ago

                Kanye lost about 2/3rds of his net worth over night because Nike dropped the Yeezy brand. Being a partial owner of a niche brand is in no way comparable to someone like Musk who has controling interest in multiple market leading companies. Celebrity status can be leveraged to get a minority stake in a company, but minority owners can be forced out just as easily.

    • Patapon Enjoyer@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      5 months ago

      Even them are profitting off the work of hundreds of people. Or rather, a publisher is profitting off of their work along with the work of a lot more people.

      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        Direct to customer meaning they sell direct to a customer. Presumably through digital copies and owning a server rack.

        You can certainly argue that even that kind of hypothetical billionaire shouldn’t exist, and you’d be right.

      • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        16
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Nah. Tons of merchandising, films, publishing etc.

        Those Quidditch brooms and plastic wands don’t assemble themselves in a sweatshop.

        Think more like if some self hosted webnovel had the same success somehow, or if she’d been as involved with checking the conditions of the merchandise empire as thoroughly as she was apparently involved in making sure the child actors were treated well. Not particularly likely, but hypothetically.

        • everyone_said@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Why do the merchandise sales not count? Are they not a product of her creative writing? Many webnovelists sell merch. One of my favourite webnovelists semi-recently hired an editor, would that disqualify them?

          I’m a little confused on how you are defining the conditions. If the artist can only count their personal contributions than I don’t think it is possible in any sense. No person no matter how hard working or talented can personally generate a billion in profit.