David Bowie turns 60 today, and he is quite literally bigger than ever.
Britain's 'The Independent' newspaper has traced the late-career rise of the master of musical reinvention. Bowie is now estimated to be worth £120 million ($US230 million, $AUD300 million), of which one quarter was earned on his Reality Tour of 2003-04.The Bowie of 2006 is a far cry from his emaciated 1970s counterpart, one ravaged by years of drug abuse. Since cleaning up he has had a keen eye for business, embarking on a unique venture in 1997 whereby he allowed investors to gamble on his future by purchasing 'Bowie Bonds'. In 2007, Bowie will reclaim the rights to some 287 songs, which he sold 10 years ago for £33 million.
A source told 'The Independent', "The archives are bursting at the seams, things that no one has ever heard. He's never done anything like The Beatles Anthology, so there is scope for a boxed set and a DVD of his life. But certainly in recent years the touring has bolstered his income massively."
Bowie, who has embraced the quiet life over recent times, plans a low-key sixtieth birthday celebration in the company of his family.
