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Lifestyles of the insanely rich?
Nov. 5th, 2008 09:58 amProbably the top story right now in Japan is not the US election -- it's Komuro. Who is that? A rock producer who apparently played fast and loose with contracts and money, and has now been arrested for a little $5 million dollar mistake (rough conversion, based on 100 yen to the dollar).
Some of it is a question of copyright, oddly enough. Did he have the copyright to sell some songs or not? If he did, then the "victim" may still owe him some $5 million (although this is where things get confused -- at one point apparently the victim claimed he only owed him another $1.5 million, based on sales?). However, since Komuro apparently didn't own the copyright, then he's apparently trying to defraud the investor.
( Not everyone can play fast and lose with millions . . . )
The fun part, to me, is how avidly people seem to be hanging on the stories of this lifestyle. Does it make us feel better to know that someone can spend money on that scale? And that he's going down in flames? Is there a feeling that he's being punished for his excesses?
I was also intrigued to realize that among all the stories, this 49-year-old music producer seems to have spent almost all of his money on himself and his business. Have to wonder if the guy even knows there is another world outside the music scene -- and that for most of us, that kind of pocket change is a lifelong ambition, not an evening gig.
Some of it is a question of copyright, oddly enough. Did he have the copyright to sell some songs or not? If he did, then the "victim" may still owe him some $5 million (although this is where things get confused -- at one point apparently the victim claimed he only owed him another $1.5 million, based on sales?). However, since Komuro apparently didn't own the copyright, then he's apparently trying to defraud the investor.
( Not everyone can play fast and lose with millions . . . )
The fun part, to me, is how avidly people seem to be hanging on the stories of this lifestyle. Does it make us feel better to know that someone can spend money on that scale? And that he's going down in flames? Is there a feeling that he's being punished for his excesses?
I was also intrigued to realize that among all the stories, this 49-year-old music producer seems to have spent almost all of his money on himself and his business. Have to wonder if the guy even knows there is another world outside the music scene -- and that for most of us, that kind of pocket change is a lifelong ambition, not an evening gig.
