Art Bell's financial situation

[DanTSX]

art's debit card... does anyone know if it's visa or MC?  or does he prefer checks?

AMEX Black card.

It's not hard to maintain those balances when you are that close to the Bunny Ranch

[b_dubb]

Art needs to reverse mortgage his RV

[Falkie2013]

Older school than that.  "Junk" silver and gold coins.

I asked at Bank of America one day recently. They no longer sell traveller's checks.
But Amex still does.

http://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/prepaid/travelers-cheques.html

[onan]

I asked at Bank of America one day recently. They no longer sell traveller's checks.
Neither does American Express as far as I know.

http://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/prepaid/travelers-cheques.html

[Falkie2013]

http://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/prepaid/travelers-cheques.html

Took me a minute to check that out. I was on the phone with the gf.

You feeling any better ?

[onan]

Took me a minute to check that out. I was on the phone with the gf.

You feeling any better ?

still no solid voice... but over all, yeah, thanks.

[RecoveringNoorholic]

I think you answered your own question. If Art's done virtually nothing for 13 years, odds are he's okay for money.

Only in the world of fandom ...

He's unemployed so he's obviously wealthy!

The sale of C2CAM to PremRat was in the $10M+ range.  His salary on the show was probably good, but not too much to start, then went up as affiliates were added.

So what's the source for that figure?

I'm not saying it's not accurate, I'm just curious to know from where it's originating. Is this the actual sale value or is it the value Bell-fans believe he's worth so, by extension, that must be how much Premier paid?

Again, though, I'm not saying it's not true --- though it would certainly underscore a certain incompetence on the part of Premier if they got stuck with that kind of purchase price in a negotiation with someone who doesn't use lawyers and whose penchant for getting stuck with a raw deal in contract negotiations has publicly been noticed at least twice now.

[RecoveringNoorholic]

We're not entitled to nitpick his finances any more than he's entitled to nitpick ours. 

meh - if Art wants to start a thread about my finances, he's more than welcome to; I doubt he'd find very many people interested in such a thread but, you know, whatever

[Cynnie]

meh - if Art wants to start a thread about my finances, he's more than welcome to; I doubt he'd find very many people interested in such a thread but, you know, whatever

Art would fall asleep halfway through dissecting my finances ..

[CornyCrow]

I just get the impression from listening to Art that his brain is no dummy to the investment world.  Although he's no guru in the field he probably had a nice pile of money during the Clinton tech boom and I'll bet he was fully invested in that time period.  Someone here pointed to his frugal lifestyle, as well.  He probably has enough to live off the interest and to provide for his family in the same way after he's gone. 

It is SO important to start investing early in life and to continue to do so on a regular basis.   

Some of us live by the rule that whoever has the most when he dies, wins.  I guess Art is not that sort.

Does anyone wonder about Art's social life, living where he does?  Is he buddies with some locals and do they visit each other regularly?  I hope so.  It would seem very lonely to me to live way out there and only find stimulating conversation over his short wave or over the telephone lines.   

Another thing that I find odd is how quickly Sirius pulled idiot Noory on board.  It almost makes me feel as though they(thought they) trapped our guy Art with that low paying contract and were planning to have Noory among their offerings all the while.  Do these contracts usually just take a few weeks, when there are so many parties involved?  I would think, months.       

[Chocolate coated jackboot]

I know for a fact that Art made $1 226 754.78 selling Gordon Michael Scallion's 2012 map-of-the-US-with-a-big-lake-in-the-middle posters

[George Drooly]

Only in the world of fandom ...

He's unemployed so he's obviously wealthy!

Uh, yes, that does in fact make sense, why wouldn't it? A man basically unemployed for a decade, with a wife, child, pets, half-a-dozen properties, travels the world ten times... I think it's reasonable to say he's not just "well off" but very secure financially. I'm sure he was payed through the nose from 1995-2000, I'm sure he still gets residuals or royalties for radio and books and movies.

[RecoveringNoorholic]

"He's unemployed so he's obviously wealthy!"

Uh, yes, that does in fact make sense, why wouldn't it?

Uhhh ...

I'm sure he was payed through the nose from 1995-2000

While Art got out before the crash of radio, I think "pay through the nose" is a little fanciful, especially when applied to a person who doesn't use lawyers and has been proven to have trouble negotiating contracts that are to his benefit. As for "residuals" ... residuals from what? The Art of Talk?

[George Drooly]

Right. We've all been through this a bout 20 times.

He was the second-highest rated radio host of the 1990s, after Rush. Do that math.
He wrote several books - not necessarily NYTIMES best sellers, but they're out there and did well.
One of thos books was optioned for a hugely successful film.
He sold his radio show.
He owned a radio station, a cable company, who knows what else (couple whorehouses?).

Most indicative, as I said before: NO JOB FOR TEN YEARS, during which he move around the world twice, with wife, child, pets and possessions, not the sort of thing someone does if they're on a limited budget, period.

After all that, his recent Sirius contract was 75 grand, which he himself admitted was a token, an unneeded formality. He would not have quit if he need that 75 grand (which is twice the US median income, BTW).

Wake up.

[MV/Liberace!]

Right. We've all been through this a bout 20 times.

He was the second-highest rated radio host of the 1990s, after Rush. Do that math.
He wrote several books - not necessarily NYTIMES best sellers, but they're out there and did well.
One of thos books was optioned for a hugely successful film.
He sold his radio show.
He owned a radio station, a cable company, who knows what else (couple whorehouses?).

Most indicative, as I said before: NO JOB FOR TEN YEARS, during which he move around the world twice, with wife, child, pets and possessions, not the sort of thing someone does if they're on a limited budget, period.

After all that, his recent Sirius contract was 75 grand, which he himself admitted was a token, an unneeded formality. He would not have quit if he need that 75 grand (which is twice the US median income, BTW).

Wake up.

Everything That Guy Just Said is Bullshit


j/k, hee.

[slippingaway]

I know for a fact that Art made $1 226 754.78 selling Gordon Michael Scallion's 2012 map-of-the-US-with-a-big-lake-in-the-middle posters

Wow, you could have just rounded it up to 1,226,755, but you chose to go down the EXACT penny.  That PROVES you know what you're talking about, right? LOL. Did you remote view that number?!?

I pose the following question: why does everyone here care about how rich Art Bell is? He never made a big deal about material things, in fact I remember him talking about his Geo Metro from years back.  Not exactly in the same caliber as BMW...

If he's well off, and can afford a decent life, afford his hobbies, and can provide for Aryn, Asia, the kitties, then who cares, really? There's more to life than material possession! Indeed. What business is it of ours? What business is it of anyone except him, his financial adviser, his family, and the IRS?

[tertiaryimam]

Wow, you could have just rounded it up to 1,226,755, but you chose to go down the EXACT penny.  That PROVES you know what you're talking about, right? LOL. Did you remote view that number?!?

I pose the following question: why does everyone here care about how rich Art Bell is? He never made a big deal about material things, in fact I remember him talking about his Geo Metro from years back.  Not exactly in the same caliber as BMW...

If he's well off, and can afford a decent life, afford his hobbies, and can provide for Aryn, Asia, the kitties, then who cares, really? There's more to life than material possession! Indeed. What business is it of ours? What business is it of anyone except him, his financial adviser, his family, and the IRS?

I think Art has way too much money. He should be sending some of that money to his old listeners. I was embarrassed as fuck the other day when I went into Wal-Mart to get a chicken-salad croissant, and when I was at the check out I didn't have enough money for it. The check out lady was the fine-ass MILF, too. I looked like a total spaz, and if Art wasn't so greedy with his money he could've sent me a check for maybe $40. I could have got the sandwich, the girl's number, and hopped back into my Datsun like the pimp the Lord wanted me to be.

[Foodlion]

The TRUE question here we all want to hear is....

George
vs.
Art

Who's rolling in more bling?

I'm guessing Art, but not to forget George makes about what a lower level Physician does, and could earily hit the million mark in less than 10 years... not to mention his insanely high cook book sales to bellgabbers.

I know Art is frugal because he prob still drives his Geo Metro he so famously bragged about


George on the other hand drives a gas saving 0 miles to the gallon whatchamacallit

(It's still parked in the studio lot) so he saves more on gas.

Hmmm tough call.

[tertiaryimam]

The TRUE question here we all want to hear is....

George
vs.
Art

Who's rolling in more bling?

I'm guessing Art, but not to forget George makes about what a lower level Physician does, and could earily hit the million mark in less than 10 years... not to mention his insanely high cook book sales to bellgabbers.

I'd say George has more dough, for sure. Art needs women in his life to invest his money wisely. Otherwise he'll blow it all. Luckily he has Airyn. She probably does all his finances and makes sure he doesn't spend it all on ham radio gear, expensive e-cigarette rolling papers, and cat toys. George, however, is a savvy businessman to his rotten core. Not only does he have a mountain of cash, but he knows what to do with it. He's probably got a special room in his palatial estates filled with rare Ninja Turtles Memorabilia and whatnot, powdering his nose with the purest Ketamine this side of the Volga, and stuffing his face with golden crisp pita bread and filafel. His partying probably puts Justin Bieber's to motherfucking shame.

[attachimg=1]

[Colorado ESQ]

What's next? Is Art circumcised?

Boxers or briefs?

[AZguy]

1.  I’m sure Art is able to pay his bills just fine.
2.  No one has “enough” money.
3.  It’s really no one’s business but Art, his wife and the IRS.

Hope AB comes back to radio.

[RecoveringNoorholic]

He was the second-highest rated radio host of the 1990s, after Rush.

Source?

(And yes, I am aware the "second-highest rated radio show" thing is a popular meme in the Bellphile Underground. Repetition and volume of message doesn't replace sourcing, though. I have yet to see any objective evidence presented about this meme, even though one would suppose it should be fairly easily obtainable.)

He wrote several books - not necessarily NYTIMES best sellers, but they're out there and did well.

Source?

One of thos books was optioned for a hugely successful film.

Source?

As far as I'm aware the film was "inspired" by the book and got credit ... I have seen nothing that said there was an option that was sold. In fact, I would be particularly shocked if that was the case since the book was non-fiction, not a narrative story with characters. To further underscore this point, Whitley Streiber, who co-wrote the book with Art, has been very public about the financial hardships he's encountered.

He sold his radio show.

For how much?

He owned a radio station,

Which, itself, was only sold for $600,000 and I have a very hard time believing Art paid significantly less than that. Radio stations in the 2000s have been dropping in value, not appreciating. He might have made a hundo on it, or less. (Did he sell the station because he needed some quick cash? I know the press release version was that it was too much work but it appears he wasn't really involved in day to day operations at all.) 

wake up

cool story, bro 

[RecoveringNoorholic]

Is it true Art Bell didn't pay his webmaster, that said webmaster had to try to get cash through affiliate link programs? That's kind-of a strange, and most likely not all that lucrative, arrangement. With all of Art's millions, a part-time webmaster should have been a drop in the bucket. Could it be that Art is either (a) a bad businessman, (b) stingy, (c) not a gajillionaire? (I find that "A" and "C" usually go together.)

[George Drooly]

Source?

It was written in Chinese on the small of your mother's back

[bigchucka]

It was written in Chinese on the small of your mother's back

"Any lower back tattoo is queer.  It might as well say 'Insert Cock Here'"...

I love that Stephen Lynch song....

[MV/Liberace!]

tattoos.  meh.  not a fan.

[DanTSX]

I think Art has way too much money. He should be sending some of that money to his old listeners. I was embarrassed as fuck the other day when I went into Wal-Mart to get a chicken-salad croissant, and when I was at the check out I didn't have enough money for it. The check out lady was the fine-ass MILF, too. I looked like a total spaz, and if Art wasn't so greedy with his money he could've sent me a check for maybe $40. I could have got the sandwich, the girl's number, and hopped back into my Datsun like the pimp the Lord wanted me to be.

pics of MILF?

[DanTSX]

I just get the impression from listening to Art that his brain is no dummy to the investment world.  Although he's no guru in the field he probably had a nice pile of money during the Clinton tech boom and I'll bet he was fully invested in that time period.  Someone here pointed to his frugal lifestyle, as well.  He probably has enough to live off the interest and to provide for his family in the same way after he's gone. 

It is SO important to start investing early in life and to continue to do so on a regular basis.   

Some of us live by the rule that whoever has the most when he dies, wins.  I guess Art is not that sort.

Does anyone wonder about Art's social life, living where he does?  Is he buddies with some locals and do they visit each other regularly?  I hope so.  It would seem very lonely to me to live way out there and only find stimulating conversation over his short wave or over the telephone lines.   

Another thing that I find odd is how quickly Sirius pulled idiot Noory on board.  It almost makes me feel as though they(thought they) trapped our guy Art with that low paying contract and were planning to have Noory among their offerings all the while.  Do these contracts usually just take a few weeks, when there are so many parties involved?  I would think, months.     

Bunny Ranch dude.

[gringomisio]

Is it true Art Bell didn't pay his webmaster, that said webmaster had to try to get cash through affiliate link programs?

If Art was paying his webmaster this would have never been posted.. It seems artbell.com is Keith's site about Art as opposed to Art's site:

http://artbell.com/about-us/

[RecoveringNoorholic]

If Art was paying his webmaster this would have never been posted.. It seems artbell.com is Keith's site about Art as opposed to Art's site:

http://artbell.com/about-us/

Wow, solid find, that is incredibly weird ...

ArtBell.com is the official website for the SiriusXM radio program, “Art Bell’s Dark Matter.” I do this for fun, but must make enough money through banner advertising and affiliate programs to pay the Amazon AWS bill and cover my time. Please support the ongoing operation of the website by visiting our sponsors and buying some stuff if it suits you.