3. Selling a Photo of a Monkey For $25,000
In 2011, a man named David Slater was on a trip to Indonesia when he came across a group of crested black macaques. He managed to get some great photos of the animals, including one of a female macaques that he nicknamed ‘Monkey selfie.’
The photo went viral and ended up being published in numerous publications, including Time Magazine. However, when Slater tried to sell the photo, he found that many companies were unwilling to pay for it because they believed that the animal had taken the photo itself and thus it should be considered public domain.
In 2014, Slater decided to take legal action against Wikimedia, the company that hosts Wikipedia. He argued that the photo was his property and that he should be compensated for its use. After a lengthy legal battle, Wikimedia agreed to pay Slater $25,000 for the use of the photo.
This story goes to show that you can make money in very strange ways if you’re willing to fight for what you believe in!
4. A Chinese millionaire offered $0.80 cans of fresh air and sold 8 million cans in just 10 days.
Chen Guangbiao, a recycling entrepreneur, philanthropist, and environmental activist who is also one of China’s wealthiest individuals, is noted for his unusual humanitarian activities. He chose to promote public awareness as Beijing’s air pollution became increasingly dangerous, leading in a surge in respiratory diseases. As a result, he began selling fresh air cans in January, claiming that “if we don’t act in the next 10 years, our successors would have to carry oxygen tanks and wear masks all the time.”
