Joe Rogan may have just signed an industry-shaking deal, reportedly worth more than $100 million, to bring his massively popular podcast to Spotify, but he doesn’t feel comfortable bragging about it — especially while millions of people are unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It feels gross,” Rogan told The New York Times Monday about his new deal. “Especially right now, when people can’t work.”
More than 38 million Americans have filed for unemployment during the last nine weeks, according to The Washington Post.
Also Read: Joe Rogan Signs Exclusive $100 Million Podcast Deal With Spotify
Rogan’s comments were included in a new piece penned by Bari Weiss that examines why the comedian has become the biggest name in podcasting. The story comes less than a week after Rogan announced his pact with Spotify, which will bring “The Joe Rogan Experience” exclusively to the streaming service by end of the year. That means fans won’t be able to listen to his podcast on Apple’s Podcasts app anymore, and full interviews won’t be posted to YouTube (although it’s believed clips of his interviews will still be shared to YouTube).
Soon after Rogan tweeted about the deal last Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported Rogan would get more than $100 million for the licensing rights to his show. Rogan, per Forbes, made $30 million last year from his podcast — easily lapping the next biggest podcaster.
Also Read: Why Joe Rogan Is a $100 Million Bargain for Spotify
The ex-“Fear Factor” host, when congratulated by Weiss on becoming “crazy rich,” said he felt “weirdly richer” following the deal. Rogan added: “Like, it doesn’t register. Seems fake.”
So far, Rogan’s contract seems to be a hit with Spotify’s shareholders, with the company’s stock price rocketing higher last week — adding several billion dollars to Spotify’s valuation in the process.
You can read the full story, which includes Rogan’s concerns over censorship on YouTube, here.
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