David Bowie - $230 Million Net Worth, The Incomparable Ziggy Stardust

At the time of his passing in 2016, English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor David Bowie net worth was $230 million.

The estimated value of his music collection was included in that sum at $100 million. Later in this piece, we'll go into more depth about how Bowie's estate ultimately decided to sell his publishing library to Warner Chappell for $250 million.

Bowie produced popular music for close to 50 years and was renowned for penning avant-garde, experimental pieces that were both well-received by the public and the media.

He recorded 27 studio albums during his lifetime, 9 of which peaked at number one in the UK, and is regarded as one of the most influential rock performers of all time with record sales of more than 100 million.

With the number-one song "Fame" and the successful album "Young Americans," David, also known by the stage names Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke, Major Tom, The Chameleon of Rock, and The Starman, had his first significant American crossover breakthrough in 1976.

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He also made an appearance in the box office-relatively unsuccessful picture "The Man Who Fell to Earth" the same year.

Quick Facts About David Bowie

David Bowie Personal Life

On March 19, 1970, David wed Mary Barnett; on May 30, 1971, their son Duncan Jones who would grow up to become a great filmmaker was born.

In 1980, Bowie and Barnett were divorced, and David got custody of Duncan. On April 24, 1992, Bowie married Somali model Iman; their daughter, Alexandria, was born in August 2000.

David first admitted to being gay in a 1972 "Melody Maker" interview before saying he was bisexual in a 1976 "Playboy" interview.

In a 2005 interview, Bowie said that he was "not exactly an atheist" and that he had considered becoming a Buddhist monk in the 1960s.

David Bowie Death

On January 10, 2016, only two days after turning 69 and releasing his album "Blackstar," David passed suddenly from liver cancer.

Bowie had the ailment for 18 months prior to his diagnosis, but he hid it from the public.

After his passing, admirers erected tributes at the David Bowie mural in Brixton, in Berlin, Los Angeles, and in front of his residence in New York.

On January 12th, David was cremated in New Jersey, and on January 14th, at a Buddhist ceremony, his ashes were strewn in Bali.

David Bowie Career

Music Career

To prevent confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees, David switched from Davy/Davie Jones to David Bowie in the middle of the 1960s.

On June 1, 1967, he released his self-titled debut album. It was followed by 1969's "Man of Words/Man of Music," which peaked at #16 in the United States and #17 in the UK before being reissued as "Space Oddity" in 1972.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was Bowie's first album as Ziggy Stardust, which was released in June of the same year.

The album spent two years on the charts and was given the RIAA Gold and 2x Platinum certifications by the British Phonographic Industry.

"Aladdin Sane," "Pin Ups," and "Diamond Dogs" were the next three #1 albums issued by David; the same thing repeated in the 1980s with "Scary Monsters....and Super Creeps," "Let's Dance," and "Tonight" (1984).

Acting Career

Bowie participated in more than 30 film, television, and theater productions during his career.

For his role in "The Man Who Fell to Earth," he received a Saturn Award. He performed the roles of Pontius Pilate in "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988), Jareth the Goblin King in Jim Henson's "Labyrinth" (1986), Andy Warhol in "Basquiat" (1996), and Phillip Jeffries in "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (1992).

In "The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch" (2002), "Zoolander" (2001), and the HBO/BBC Two series "Extras," David also made an appearance as himself (2006).

Bowie Bonds

As music file sharing and piracy gained enormous popularity in the late 1990s, David grew to believe that his future income streams would soon disappear.

He pondered selling all of the rights to his song collection while he examined his choices.

A financial buddy who knew he was considering this extraordinarily difficult and long-lasting choice recommended he sell bonds secured by his catalog. At the time, Bowie was unaware of what a bond was.

Bowie could "securitize" his music earnings and sell debt by using the library as collateral, the banker argued.

In other words, Bowie would transfer the annual income from his royalties sources to a specifically designed financial entity.

If for any reason Bowie couldn't pay back the debt on time, he would forfeit the rights to his music library. These revenues would go to the bond holder.

Bowie quickly secured $55 million from Prudential Financial using all of the songs he had written before 1990 as security.

The term of the loan is ten years, with yearly interest payments of 7.9%. Bowie would repay the debt after ten years and reclaim his royalties without having to relinquish control of his catalog.

Top 12 Albums And Sales By David Bowie

Over 39,394,275 records by David Bowie were sold, including 9,764,000 in the US and 8,500,000 in the UK. Let's Dance by David Bowie, which has sold over 10,700,000 copies, is his best-selling album.

David Bowie Top 5 Songs

Space Oddity

Changes

Moonage Daydream

Heroes

Young Americans

David Bowie Net Worth

His estate is estimated to be worth $230 million. Iman inherited both their SoHo penthouse and half of the famous person's wealth.

25% of the estate went to Duncan, while the remaining 25% was placed in a trust for Alexandria, who was 15 at the time of her father's passing.

In addition, David bequeathed $1 million to Marion Skene, the childhood nanny of his son Duncan, and $2 million to Coco Schwab, his longtime secretary. Alexandria also inherited David's vacation property in Ulster County, New York.

The estate of David Bowie sold his publishing library to Warner Chappell for $250 million, it was announced in January 2022.

The contract comprises music from more than six decades, 26 studio albums that were released during his lifetime, one posthumous album, and almost 400 songs.

David Bowie Real Estate

David and Iman paid $4 million in 1999 for two NYC penthouses, which they combined to create a 5,300 square foot loft.

This is where the pair was residing when Bowie passed away. David also owned a number of additional homes, including a 5-bedroom Caribbean mansion on the island of Mustique and a 14-room estate in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In 1989, Bowie had the Mustique house (also known as Mandalay Estate) built for him; he sold it in 1995 for $5 million, and in recent years, it has been offered for rent for $40,000 to $70,000 a week.

David Bowie Awards And Honors

Numerous prizes have been given to Bowie, including 11 NME Awards, 4 BRIT Awards, 4 Ivor Novello Awards, 4 MTV Video Music Awards, and 2 Outer Critics Circle Awards.

He was nominated for 19 Grammy Awards and won four of them for his final album in 2017: Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

In 1985, he won Best Video, Short Form for "Jazzin' for Blue Jean," which also earned him a Grammy for Best Video, Short Form.

David also received honors from the GQ Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and BRIT Icon Awards.

Bowie was awarded with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 and appeared on the Brixton Pound, the currency of his hometown, in 2011.

Top 15 Facts About David Bowie You Don't Know

• Bowie has a pair of blue and a pair of brown eyes. When he was 15 years old, his friend George Underwood attacked him over a girl.
• According to his mother Peggy, the Burns family was the source of Bowie's passion for the theater and singing ability (her family).
• The family relocated to Bromley in Kent from Brixton.
• Bowie graduated from Bromley Technical College with one O Level. In the field of art.
• Little Richard, an American rock and roll artist, was the voice Bowie heard as God.
• The Champion Flower Grower is a drama he previously wrote for the BBC. It was turned down.
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and David Bowie's first album were both released on the same day. On the chart, it rose to third place.
• Major Tom, a character from Bowie's popular song Space Oddity, became his first alter persona.
• On March 19, 1970, Bowie wed Angie, his first wife. Zowie was the first kid they had.
• He was born on the same day as Elvis. Elvis' record company, RCA, signed him, and his three-album contract was for $37,500.
• In 1972, Bowie came out as bisexual.
• He got his hair styled to resemble one of Kansai Yamamoto's female models. This marked the beginnings of the "Ziggy" appearance.
• Bowie's most well-known alter ego to date, Ziggy Stardust, was created for The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.
• For years, Ziggy wouldn't leave me alone. At that point, everything turned nasty. Bowie frequently struggled to let go of the Ziggy Stardust persona.
• In America, he wrote the majority of the Aladdin Sane record.

People Also Ask

How Did David Bowie Lose His Eye?

Before Underwood transitioned from music to painting and graphics, the two played together in a number of bands.

Bowie's left eye, though, was still severely hurt. The eyeball had been accidently damaged by an impetuous punch, paralyzing the muscles that constrict the iris.

Who Inherited David Bowie's Money?

In terms of his estate, Bowie gave his wife Iman his SoHo residence in New York City and half of his total wealth.

Duncan Jones and Alexandria Jones, his two children, each inherited a quarter of his wealth, and Alexandria Jones also acquired the family's upstate New York property.

Did Elvis Like Bowie?

In truth, Bowie was a huge fan of Elvis and was rumored to be encyclopedic in his knowledge of the rock and roll legend's life. They also had birthdays on January 8 together.

Conclusion

Over the course of more than 50 years, Bowie was a well-known figure in the music industry.

He released a number of albums over his career, the first of which was self-titled and released in 1967. Bowie has appeared in several films and won various awards.

He has participated in a lot of well-known films and received various accolades. He carried on working till he passed away.