You could buy nearly seven million pair of Bulgari Bono sunglasses with the cash.
By Gil Kaufman
U2's Bono
Photo: D. Dipasupil/ WireImage
U2 singer Bono was already an obscenely wealthy man before Friday's (May 18) Facebook IPO . But thanks to the 2.3 percent stake in the social networking site held by his Elevation Partners investment group (it is unknown how much of the Facebook take is directly held by Bono) it was reported that his nest egg could grow exponentially when Friday's first day of trading on the company's stock is over.
The total haul? More than $1.5 billion , which is not bad for a day's work.
If those figures are true, he may become the richest rock star on Earth, sitting on a massive pile of green that could allow a man who already had the world at his fingertips to push into a rarified stratosphere that's the envy of the many one-percenters he already counts as friends. According to Rolling Stone the singer, who cannot sell all his shares at once, has pledged to use much of the money raised from his investments to aid charity work in Africa.
Bono addressed the rumors of his (alleged) impending money bomb while speaking to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Friday morning. "Contrary to reports, I'm not a billionaire or going to be richer than any Beatle -- and not just in the sense of money, by the way; the Beatles are untouchable -- those billionaire reports are a joke," he said. "In Elevation, we invest other people's money -- endowments, pension funds. We do get paid, of course. But, you know, I felt rich when I was 20 years old and my wife was paying my bills. Just being in a band, I've always felt blessed. I got interested in technology because I'm an artist, I'm interested in the forces that shape the world, politics, religion, the stuff we've been talking about today. Technology is huge, I wanted to learn about it. People might say that's odd, but I think it's odd if artists aren't interested in the world around them. I'm always chasing that. Facebook are an amazing team, a brilliant team. It's a technology that brings people together."
But if one person were to obtain that windfall, what could $1.5 billion buy you? We broke it down, by-the-numbers:
6.9 million Famous for his signature Bulgari shades, if Bono were to get his hands on the full stash, he could hit the Amazon.com marketplace and get nearly seven million pair for cheap at $215.77 a piece.
12.5 The giant claw stage that U2 schlepped around the world for their record-setting 360 Tour was insanely expensive. With each of the three structures they built coming in at $40 million a piece, Bono could build nine more with the Facebook loot.
300,000 Speaking U2 tours, on their famous 1992 Zoo TV outing, one of the highlights were the blinged-out Trabant cars that were hung from the lighting rigs. The famously low-budget East German cars were never expensive, but if Bono were ever thinking of expanding his car collection, he could snatch up more than 300,000 1989 models for the money.
39.4 million: In the recent documentary, "From the Sky Down," U2 basically admitted that they'd gotten a bit full of themselves by the time their 1988 ode to Americana, Rattle and Hum, was released. If Bono is feeling especially embarrassed about all the cowboy hats and blues discovery of that era, he could try to wipe out some trace of it by buying nearly 40 million Blu-Ray copies of the DVD from Amazon.
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Esther Canadas Adrianne Palicki Camilla Belle America Ferrera
Bieber's mentor and dance-off foe will debut his new track 'Twisted' on 'MTV First: Usher,' airing tonight at 7:54 p.m. on MTV.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway
<P>Justin Bieber and his mentor, Usher, believe it or not, have engaged in a dance-off or two. While Bieber is certainly known for his ability to cut a rug, he noted that his pal has the smoother of the dance moves.</P><P>"Dance-offs? We had one the other night. He did this little show in New York," Bieber explained to MTV News earlier this month about facing off against Usher during his stint in the off-Broadway "Fuerza Bruta" in April. "Mid-show, he comes in the middle of the dance floor and does a dance battle with me. And I'm like 'I'm too tired for this.' He pulls out moves and I can't <i>not</i> dance battle Usher.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Usher Continues To Mentor Justin Bieber" id="vid:765694.id:1684329" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>"So I go in there, do my whole thing," he recalled. "I'm pretty sure I lost, but it's all good."</P><P>When they aren't battling it out on the dance floor, it seems Usher is offering up some sage advice to the 18-year-old singer. "He's just given me the advice of 'Always keep the people that were there in the beginning, keep them with you because those are the people that really care. They want to see you succeed,' " he said. "I think that's probably pretty much the main thing he's always told me."</P><P>Usher has even more to share about working with his superstar mentee. He will open up during "MTV First: Usher," set to take place tonight at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV. He will introduce exclusive footage from "Fuerza Bruta" and his new single, the Pharrell-produced "Twisted," and will stick around for an interview with MTV News' Sway Calloway to discuss it all, including his new June release, Looking 4 Myself, on MTV.com afterward. Fans can submit questions via MTV.com or Twitter @MTVNews with the hashtag #MTVFirst or #AskUsher.</P><P><b>Don't miss "MTV First: Usher" tonight at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by an interview with the singer on MTV.com!</b></p>
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Rapper tells MTV News about being at Mayweather's match against Miguel Cotto with the Biebs and Lil Wayne.
By Rob Markman
<P>Everyone loves a champion, and currently there is no bigger boxing champ than Floyd "Money" Mayweather. Not only did the outspoken pugilist attract a record number of pay-per-view fans for his May 5 match against Miguel Cotto, he also brought music's brightest stars to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on fight night. Of course 50 Cent was on hand to cheer on his buddy Floyd, and Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne made their way to the ring as well.</P><P>Many fight fans were surprised to see that the Biebs had been in Mayweather's dressing room for the fight preparations; after that, JB walked with the undefeated Floyd to the ring, helping to hold the champ's belts.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Boxing Brought Together 50 Cent, Justin Bieber And Lil Wayne" id="vid:769373" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>"Justin is also a Floyd fan. They love the sport. A lot of people like it and haven't actually made contact or received anything to make them feel like it was cool or comfortable enough for them to come," 50 said about JB's much-discussed ring walk. "When it actually happens and it goes down like that, it feels good. When they get a chance to see different genres, different people, everybody's excited."</P><P>One of the more excited fans was Floyd's daughter Iyanna, who, according to 50, was fixated on the teenage idol. "Floyd's daughter, Yaya, she saw half the fight, the other half she was looking at Bieber," the rapper joked. "He just got that thing for the younger generation, too — he's it."</P><P>Some were also surprised to see Lil Wayne in the ring. In the past, he and 50 haven't been the best of friends, so many assumed that Floyd would inherit Fif's perceived rap beefs, but that isn't the case. In fact, Mayweather is a Weezy fan; he listens to his music constantly while training.</P><P>"Floyd has a huge passion for music that people don't know about," 50 explained. "It's a big part of what makes him comfortable and takes his mind off of how hard he has to work to stay being the #1 fighter in the world. With Wayne's music momentum, he's a part of that; he's been a part of the playlist, so it's cool."</P><P>After Floyd dusted off Cotto in a unanimous decision, he, Bieber, Weezy and 50 all celebrated in the ring and even posed for a few pictures. Though Fif sported his patented menacing scowl, he insists that there was no problem whatsoever. "The pictures, when I'm not paying attention, they take some really weird facial expressions of me," he said. "I'm like, 'What the f--- was I thinking at that point?' It's nothing there to make me feel uncomfortable."</P><P><i>Should Justin Bieber join Floyd Mayweather's Money Team? Let us know what you think in the comments!</i></P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="50 Cent To Release 'Lost Tapes' Mixtapes" id="vid:768456" width="415" height="255"></div><p></p>
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Looking 4 Myself single is about reaching 'a place where you're gonna dive in or let it go,' Usher explains on 'MTV First.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway
<P>Usher admits that "over the last three years of my life, it's no secret I went through some heavy transitions." And he's not joking. In 2009, he filed for a divorce from his wife, Tameka Foster, after marrying her in 2007. In the lead-up to the split, their relationship certainly came with drama, including a rift with his mother and a major health scare for Foster during a 2009 trip to Brazil.</P><P>And even with his divorce finalized, Usher is still in and out of court dealing with custody issues over their two sons, Usher and Naviyd. However, he is ready to put all that drama aside now that he's purged those emotions for his June 12 album release, the aptly titled Looking 4 Myself.</P><P>"There's an emotional side to it. Over the last three years of my life, it's no secret I went through some heavy transitions and in that I really came out new," he told MTV News during "MTV First." "I came out feeling a sense of entitlement and a sense of ownership of all of that I went through to become better and in being able to survive it.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Usher Gets Shot In His 'Climax' Performance" id="vid:767991.id:1685137" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>"So I was looking for something in the music," he continued. "I was looking for something in life. I was looking for something in it has always been right here. It has always been there. So I kind of used the music as a dairy in a way, but a creative, artistic, art-in-motion diary."</P><P>But, Usher is no stranger to putting his drama to music. With albums titled <i>Confessions</i> and <i>Raymond v. Raymond,</i> he has always put his personal business right where people can hear it.</P><P>"Oddly, I've unfortunately left my life an open book," he said. "So every record people would assume that each and every detail is specific, even the videos."</P><P>That includes his most recent clip for "Climax," which follows jilted lover Usher as he contemplates shooting his girl's other man. Soon, he charges in the house, and a gunshot is fired off. What's unclear is whether it's reality or just Usher's fantasy.</P><P>"OK, I'm not sitting out in front of somebody's house and shoot up the crib, just so you know," he joked. " 'Climax' was an interpretation to really give people a better understanding 'cause I felt like people really looked at the record for what you heard first, which was 'Climax'. So, people thought 'sex.' It's not about sex. Well, climax is about sex, but not the song. Just so we're clear."</P><P>The Diplo-produced track actually has more to do with the events of the last few years of his life than events in the bedroom. "The song is really about kind of the crescendo of a relationship, where you've reached a place where you're gonna dive in or let it go," he said. "And the 'Climax' is what it is."</p>
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