HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR WESTLIFE LADS
- Sligo Weekender
Long hours in the studio, arduous tour schedules,
endless PR appearances and thousands of miles of travelling have left the five
members of Westlife very well off at the end of 2002.
The quintet received just under E1 million each and manager Louis Walsh received almost double that from his very public enterprises last year. Shane, Kian, Mark, Nicky and Bryan are all directors of Bluenet, whose turnover comes from Westlife’s merchandising, royalties and tours. The company paid its directors E836,456 each and the five performers also received E88,882 each from a subsidiary company, Blacknight.
Westlife’s mentor and manager, Louis Walsh has
actually outperformed his greatest pop successes, earning E2 million in 2002.
The money not only came from the success of Westlife, but from other performers
in his stable including Samantha Mumba and Girls Aloud, who reached the
Christmas No. 1 in the UK.
The pop svengali was also paid a six figure sum for his appearance on the ITV
Popstars programme and is being paid another huge fee for being a judge on RTE’s
You’re A Star.
Meanwhile, Westlife stand to make even more money that they did last year, in 2003. Their financial statements for 2003 will reflect sell-out tours of Europe and the phenomenal success of their greatest hits album which was released earlier this year.
Most of the guys have not been shy about showing off their new found wealth. Shane Filan, a self confessed car nut, has collected some very desirable machines, including a Ferrari and two classic American muscle cars. He also bought his father a late Christmas present in the shape of a top-of-the-range Mercedes S-Class reported to be worth around E150,000.
Kian Egan has also invested in a Mercedes, which
joins the BMW and the Porsche already in his garage. All three Sligo members of
the band have spent lavishly on their family, with Kian buying his parents a new
home just outside Sligo Town.
<<BACK