i don’t think people are fully processing how insane this is. lewis at 41, in a brand new environment at ferrari, learning everything from scratch again, competing against a younger generation and still winning races. that’s GENERATIONAL LONGEVITY.
A 13-year-old Canadian kid uploaded R&B covers to YouTube in 2008 from his bedroom. A talent manager named Scooter Braun stumbled on the videos and signed him.
For the next 15 years, Braun controlled everything. Tours, branding, business deals, public image. The kid became the biggest pop star on the planet, sold 150 million records, racked up 32 billion Spotify streams, and had three Diamond-certified singles before turning 25.
Then in 2022, he got hit with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Partial facial paralysis. Cancelled the world tour. Disappeared from public life entirely.
Here's where it gets interesting.
In January 2023, he sold his entire 290-song catalog to Hipgnosis for $200 million. Every song he'd ever released. "Baby." "Sorry." "Love Yourself." All of it. Gone. At 28 years old, he cashed out his past.
Then he dropped Scooter Braun. After 15 years. No manager. No agent. For the first time in his career, nobody was making decisions for him.
Fast forward to this weekend. Coachella calls. He picks up the phone himself. Rolling Stone confirmed he negotiated his own headlining deal directly with Goldenvoice. No agent commission. No manager cut. $10 million for two weekends, and he kept all of it.
Then he walked onto the biggest stage in music, sat down behind a MacBook, and pulled up YouTube.
He played "Baby" from 2010. He played his bedroom covers from 2008. He harmonized with his 13-year-old self in front of 100,000 people. Katy Perry joked about whether he had YouTube Premium.
Half the internet called it lazy. The other half called it genius.
They're both wrong. It was a receipt.
He sold his catalog for $200 million. He fired the man who discovered him. He negotiated his own deal. And then he went back to the exact platform where it all started and said: I built this from a laptop. I'm headlining Coachella from a laptop. And for the first time in my life, every dollar is mine.
The kid from YouTube just closed the loop.
Unpopular opinion, but Hannah Montana in her prime was as big as Mickey Mouse. Millions of households around the world knew her name, kids had her school bags, lunch boxes, and merch, parents were running over hills just to get tickets to her shows. She is biggest Disney star
Seven dogs stolen from their owners have gone viral after escaping from an illegal transport truck and making their way home.
They traveled around 17 km together, led by a corgi across highways and fields, now safely back with their respective owners..🐶🐾🥺❤️
The Corgi was the one leading them home
The German Shepherd was injured
The dogs kept a protective formation around the German Shepherd
The Corgi stopped often to make sure they were still okay
It took them 2 days to get home
They are neighbourhood friends
I’m going to cry😭😭😭
I truly don't want to sound harsh, but the truth is that I am REALLY tired of seeing influencers get all these things instead of us, the fans, who have been rooting for her for, at least, TWO decades now. If anyone deserves it, it's US. @Disney, what's good?