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October 19, 2006

What Are Brand Name Celebrities Worth?

Paul McCartneyCould a celebrity be worth a billion dollars in licensing royalties?

As you may know, Paul McCartney recently trademarked his name in the UK for virually every category, including hay. I could see a great tie-in with co-branding Paul McCartney's hay and the Hey Jude Beatles song. :)

On a more serious note, I think the value of Paul McCartney's name, an international cultural icon as a Beatle, could be worth a billion dollars.

Maria SharapovaWhy do I say that?

  • Did you know that Catherine Zeta-Jones was paid $20 million by T-Mobile?
  • Did you know that LeBron James, the 21-year-old Cleveland Cavaliers basketball star makes $20+ million per year in endorsements?
  • How much can an 18-year-old athlete earn in endorsements? If you're Maria Sharapova, you'd be making $18 million in endorsements. That's a cool million for each year she's been alive.
  • And, did you know that George Lucas, due to Star Wars royalties, earns $235 million a year?
  • Finally, how about that other Paul. Paul Newman, that is, whose "Newman's Own" brand has donated over $200 million.

So, does the celebrity brand of Paul McCartney being worth a billion dollars still seam far-fetched to you?

For more on this subject, you can listen to Diantha Parker's Marketplace Morning Report segment, a portion of which I participated in, by downloading it .

And if you're wondering how Paul McCartney's brand would resonate among 50+ year-olds, ask the expert, Dick Stroud, at the .

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Posted by William Lozito at October 19, 2006 11:39 AM
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