Bono Once Bought a First Class Ticket for His Hat
We all love to hear about what crazy things celebrities spend their money on. U2 frontman and mega-star Bono is on a totally different level than most other celebrities. Bono’s success has been astronomical throughout his career, so it’s safe to say that he’s earned the ability to spend his money frivolously every now and then. While the famous singer is known for his philanthropy, there is one story out there that paints the opposite picture — Bono once paid $1,700 to fly his hat from London to Italy before a performance.
Bono’s long career has made him one of the world’s biggest stars
Not many bands have as long a history as U2. The group originally formed when the members were teenagers in Dublin, Ireland. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted an ad on a bulletin board at his school, which Bono (born Paul David Hewson) and the other band members responded to.
The group quickly began writing their own songs, with Bono becoming the primary lyricist. The name U2 was settled on in 1977 as a way to stand apart from other rock and roll groups with more traditional names.
U2 quickly transitioned from being a small band in the UK to one of the largest groups in the world. While still in their early 20’s, U2 had crossed the pond and was performing for large crowds at different venues around the United States. Their fifth album, The Joshua Tree, in 1987 brought them international fame and turned them into the superstars they are today.
But apart from his fame as a world-renowned rock star, Bono is perhaps best known for his philanthropic work. U2 began playing for fundraisers and benefit concerts within their first decade as a band and Bono has since become one of the world’s most active activists.
Bono’s net worth
On top of his music career and his charity work, Bono has had his hands in a number of startups and real estate investments throughout the years. All of this adds to his overall wealth, which is one of the highest in the music industry today. After a 45-year career, Bono’s net worth is estimated to be $700 million. While he’s still shy of being a billionaire, the 60-year-old singer still has plenty of career left in him.
Bono spent $1,700 to have his hat delivered to him before a concert
When you’re worth $700 million, you can afford the comfort of convenience at the drop of a hat… literally. Bono reportedly once spent $1,700 to have his hat flown to him while performing at a charity concert in Italy from his home in London.
The story goes like this: Bono realized shortly before going on stage at Luciano Pavarotti’s charity concert in 2003 that he had forgotten his hat at home. Instead of making do without it, he arranged to have the hat delivered before he performed. The hat was brought via taxi to Gatwick Airport, located south of London, where it was placed in the cockpit of a British Airways flight, under the watchful eyes of the pilots so it wouldn’t be damaged by the passengers. The hat then took another taxi to be reunited with Bono a couple of hours before the show started and it arrived in perfect condition.
All in all, the cost was around $1,500-$1,700 for the taxi rides and the better-than-first-class flight. It can be assumed that Bono helped earn significantly more than that at Pavarotti’s charity concert that evening, which we’re sure helped defend the cost in Bono’s mind. He probably looked awesome in the hat, anyway.
