Home Alone star actor receives zero residuals/royalties from the movie's reruns...

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It's suggested because McCauley Culkin was relatively unknown in Hollywood at the time he did not negotiate residual income for future reruns of the classic movie.

Interesting enough he retired at the age of 14 worth an estimated $23 million.

Conversely, each one of the "Friends" cast receive $20 million a year each for royalties they negotiated at the signing of their contract with the show. Smart move!!!

Jerry Seinfeld has received nearly $500 million in residuals for being the co-creator of "Seinfeld" along with Larry David. Not too shabby.


Getting back to the "Friends" cast. What would you do with your yearly royalty check if you got one like that ????
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Culkin became a star with the movie that didn't pay royalties - and made 7 figures a year for the next few years. He's worth a little under 20 million...so....


    The high numbers paid for music and film royalties/residuals is under pressure from streaming services....and my guess is the gravy train of residuals will be slowing down in years to come.


    This is a variation of 'what would you do if you won the lottery'. I'd do the same things I do now - but in a bigger way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    The money was made with the home alone movies when the where released on vhs or dvd. Not much money when they got to television.

    Now that is all gone which is why the movie out of Hollywood are remakes or Disney/Star Wars or super hero movies with merchandise to sell.

    Sitcoms and rv series's still draw a crowd every day and make money with commercials.

    I have seen a few different explications of why Hollywood movies where in the state they where even before the woke bombs of the last few years. It all stems from the loss of revenue from vhsand dvd sales vaporizing with streaming services . I remember for the money home alone made it had a small budget for the time a few million dollars. I looked it up it was a budget of 18 million and the original movie mad 450 million world wide
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  • Originally Posted by discrat View Post

    Getting back to the "Friends" cast. What would you do with your yearly royalty check if you got one like that ????
    The first half of the question could be "What have you produced that is worth that kind of money?"

    My wife and I could never spend more than $150,000 a year...including cars, travel, and charity. It's just not how we live. Whatever we didn't spend just went into an index fund. I think that's what we would still do...maybe.

    My guess is that the process you would have to go through to earn that much money, would change you on a fundamental level. Not the money itself...the money is just an after effect of your efforts....but the process of earning the money itself.
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    • Profile picture of the author Odahh
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      The first half of the question could be "What have you produced that is worth that kind of money?"

      My wife and I could never spend more than $150,000 a year...including cars, travel, and charity. It's just not how we live. Whatever we didn't spend just went into an index fund. I think that's what we would still do...maybe.

      My guess is that the process you would have to go through to earn that much money, would change you on a fundamental level. Not the money itself...the money is just an after effect of your efforts....but the process of earning the money itself.
      Off topic about friends though. I have read through the years people breaking down the cost of the the lifestyle of the characters in the show. And they would have all had to been making several times more than the wages that went along with the carriers/ jobs they had in the show.

      But that was/ is common in sitcoms anyway.
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    • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      The first half of the question could be "What have you produced that is worth that kind of money?"

      My wife and I could never spend more than $150,000 a year...including cars, travel, and charity. It's just not how we live. Whatever we didn't spend just went into an index fund. I think that's what we would still do...maybe.

      My guess is that the process you would have to go through to earn that much money, would change you on a fundamental level. Not the money itself...the money is just an after effect of your efforts....but the process of earning the money itself.
      It's true, although your food bill is probably pretty high. What indeed would you spend that sort of money on. However, we should realize that both of us are beyond retirement age and beyond perhaps a few bucket list items we don't have the need or inclination to go out and buy flashy things or run a business or invest in stocks and shares. That's for the young Uns.

      I suppose the only thing I might have an interest in doing is to buy a spot on the "World" cruise ship and cruise around the world slowly. But even that is beginning to fade.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    I'm really trying to think what I would do with 20 million a year or what ever they are left with after taxes and agen fees they might still be paying. 10 years ago I would have been able to answer pretty easily. Now where I have a much better understanding of my tastes. I max out at between 5-10 k usd a month for my ideal lifestyle where I want to live or travel to.

    And that I living in other countries in a luxury apartment or condo with a driver a maid and a personal chef eating fresh caught seafood and organic food..
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  • We're in internet marketing. One would hope we are all working to build business so that it is automated enough to be passive income, ran by little more than some virtual assistants ... or else sold off with ongoing payments of some kind. What would I do?

    I'd have to say that I'm doing it now since I'm not ready to retire. Using income generated from previous projects to create new business in other markets.
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    • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
      Originally Posted by wiyakalutawiyan View Post

      We're in internet marketing. One would hope we are all working to build business ....
      Just an FYI you are in the Off Topic section of the Forum. This is more of a hangout, like your local Pub or Water Cooler at work. You won't find many threads in this section about Internet Marketing in this area.

      Since you are new to the forum. Welcome and feel free to hang out down here, if you want to shoot the breeze. If you get lucky the Princess may even stop by, with her unique writing style.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by discrat View Post

    It's suggested because McCauley Culkin was relatively unknown in Hollywood at the time he did not negotiate residual income for future reruns of the classic movie.

    Interesting enough he retired at the age of 14 worth an estimated $23 million.

    Conversely, each one of the "Friends" cast receive $20 million a year each for royalties they negotiated at the signing of their contract with the show. Smart move!!!

    Jerry Seinfeld has received nearly $500 million in residuals for being the co-creator of "Seinfeld" along with Larry David. Not too shabby.


    Getting back to the "Friends" cast. What would you do with your yearly royalty check if you got one like that ????
    With one like THAT, I probably would have taken the first 4 checks, and had 1 in cash, 2 in gold, and another in stocks, and the rest I would have invested as I could, or live a nice high level life. Even by TODAYS cstandards, that is a LOT!
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