Should Michael Jackson have had more of a bond with David Bowie?

It’s one year since Michael Jackson died.  In the year since his death, his estate has made earnings of £670 million.

Given that he was allegedly in serious financial trouble at the time of his death, this must be the source of a certain amount of posthumous frustration to Mr Jackson.  His ability to spend the money has been significantly impaired in the period since the money started to roll in, on the grounds of his no longer being alive.

This is a quandary well known to many pop stars.  The murder of John Lennon in 1980 sparked a sudden and deep revival of his career.

I can’t help but wonder why none of Michael Jackson’s advisors pointed him in the direction of the Bowie Bond.

David Bowie issued bonds in 1990 that were secured on the future income to be earned from songs that he had written up until that date.  This is a simplification of course, but that’s the big picture.  By doing this, David Bowie was able to get the benefit of some of his post death earnings while he was still alive.  He is a smart business operator as well as enormously popular song writer, it seems.

The Bowie bond has been influential in business since it was issued.  In practice, I personally used it as the backbone of market data to help in the divorce settlement of another well known musician.

Its influence amongst accountants is significant, though less so with the pubic at large. Rock stars probably don’t shout about it because valuation and securitisation of intellectual property isn’t really very rock and roll.