Celebrity Estates Replay: David Bowie and the Financial Side of A Music Catalog

Named the Greatest Rock Star Ever after his death, David Bowie is a singer, songwriter and actor who left his mark on the world along with a $100 million dollar estate at the time of his death. 

Recently, his music catalog sold for a reported $250 million, higher than his initial estate value.

In this episode, a replay from earlier this year, David Lenok is joined by Stacie Jacobson, director of the wealth strategies group at AllianceBernstein, diving into the complexity of a music catalog as an asset for both the seller and buyer, along with details of the planning required before and after the transaction. 

Stacie discusses:

• The difference between a musician’s catalog and their other traditional assets
• The impact of interest rate environments on unique investments
• Why music catalogs are traditionally sold as one unit over individual songs
• How artists plan for selling their music catalog after they are gone.

The Celebrity Estates: Wills of the Rich and Famous podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher and wherever podcasts are found.