In 2009, Lily Allen was riding high on the wave of both commercial success and cultural relevance. That February, she unveiled her most renowned album to date, “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” which remains a benchmark in her career. This record, more polished, moody, and assured than her first, signaled her evolution from an internet sensation into a global pop icon. Propelled by a series of hit songs, particularly the chart-topping anthem “The Fear,” the album captivated audiences, dominating airwaves and conversations across the UK and beyond.

This was no brief flash in the pan. The album made a grand entrance, debuting at the top spot in the UK and breaking into the Top 10 in the United States. It spawned numerous successful singles that kept Allen in the limelight throughout the year. She became a staple in music journalism, fashion features, festivals, and gossip columns. Her lyrics, which often critiqued the very fame she was experiencing, only heightened her prominence. By all accounts, Lily Allen had solidified her status as a powerhouse in the industry.

Subsequently, Allen embarked on an intense whirlwind of tours, promotions, and public engagements that extended into the early 2010s. She headlined major events, commanded substantial performance fees, and navigated a career where every decision was scrutinized by managers, agents, and the financial interests of major record labels.

In the midst of this meteoric rise, it seems understandable that Allen would dismiss what appeared to be a ludicrously modest offer: $600 for a concert performance.

The proposal, though, was unconventional. It involved a virtual performance she could deliver from anywhere, even in pajamas, but $600 was insulting. Moreover, the peculiarities didn’t end there. The concert was intended to take place within Second Life, an online realm that resembled more of a tech experiment than a viable music venue at the time.

The situation took a bizarre turn. The organizers weren’t offering traditional payment. Instead, they proposed compensating Allen with a novel digital currency, unfamiliar to most beyond niche internet circles. This currency was Bitcoin.

(Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images)

The Most Expensive Gig Rejection Of All Time

As Lily confirmed in a now-deleted Tweet, back in 2009, she was offered “hundreds of thousands of Bitcoin,” worth around $600, to perform a virtual concert in the game Second Life.

Back in 2009, a single Bitcoin would have traded for around 7 cents. Can you believe that? Oh wait. I misread the decimal. In mid-2009, one Bitcoin cost $0.0007. So in other words, back in 2009, your couch coins could have been traded in for what today would be generational wealth.

Perhaps understandably, Lily rejected the offer. According to the Tweet, her actual reply was “as if.”

Using the apparent $600 offer and the Bitcoin price of $0.0007, Lily was effectively offered around 860,000 Bitcoin to perform a virtual concert. I think you know where this is going…

As I type this article, a single Bitcoin would cost you $88,605. Had Lily accepted the offer and held on for dear life to the present, today she would be sitting on a fortune of roughly $76 billion 🙂

That would make BY FAR the richest celebrity on earth, the third richest woman on earth, and roughly the 22nd richest person in the world overall.

Even if Lily had, very understandably, opted to sell 100% of her Bitcoin just five years later when Bitcoin hit $1,000 for the first time, she would have made $850 million. Or if she somehow managed to hold on for a decade, in 2019, when Bitcoin was trading at around $12,000, she would have been worth $10 billion.

Making this even more painful is the fact that Lily was actually financially struggling in 2016 – 2019. In 2016, she had to sell her $5.6 million mansion after being sued by a former tour manager for allegedly breaking a contract. By mid-to-late 2018, she was over $1 million in debt. Today, we estimate her net worth at $4 million 🙁