Roddy Bottum , veteran keyboardist for Faith No More, revealed that he became a multimillionaire thanks to an investment in Apple made in the 1990s — long before the tech giant became synonymous with global wealth.
The story was told by the musician during an appearance on the podcast The Hustle: Music & Money , but it is also recounted in greater detail in his recently released biography, The Royal We . Bottum explained that during that period, he and his friends lived in San Francisco, immersed in the local punk and art scene, where following the stock market was considered "unusual and provocative." His interest in the stock market arose almost as a joke among friends, a counterculture within a counterculture, taught to him by a boyfriend who understood the subject.
He said [transcription via Blabbermouth ]: “Me and my friends liked to provoke and do things considered extravagant or that bothered people. And one of those things, believe it or not, was, like, yeah, we followed the stock market, simply because it was so corny and ridiculous. Like, what punk rock kid, bike delivery guy, with dreadlocks and smoking pot would follow the stock market? But that was the kind of provocative kids we were, especially my boyfriend at the time, my first boyfriend… He was super smart, he showed me the tricks and taught me how to read the stock market.”
Roddy Bottum's boyfriend encouraged him to buy stocks
The turning point came when Bottum received his first major paycheck as a musician after a long tour with Faith No More, an amount of around US$12,000 (approximately R$65,000 at the current exchange rate), more money than he had ever seen. With no essential expenses and about to return to the road, he was convinced to invest that entire amount in Apple stock, at a time when the company was struggling, before Steve Jobs and long before iconic products like the iPhone changed the market.
“We didn’t have any money. I didn’t have any money. I wasn’t going to buy stocks, God knows, but we followed the stock market in a kind of annoying way and then bragged about it just to cause controversy. […] And I was at home in Los Angeles, visiting my family for the holidays, and someone handed me that check from… our management company. And my dad was super proud,” he said.
So, Roddy Bottum said, “He couldn’t believe I was going to receive a check for $12,000. And at the time I was living with my boyfriend in San Francisco. We lived in a studio apartment. I wasn’t paying rent and I was still working as a bike delivery guy. So I didn’t need that $12,000. And my crazy bipolar boyfriend convinced me to take the $12,000 check and buy Apple stock. We were years and years away from the iPhone launch. And I just bought those stocks and left them there.”.
"There's always a reward for the risks I take."
The investment grew exponentially over the decades, transforming him into a multimillionaire even off the stage, something Bottum humbly compares to "winning the lottery," and which he says he didn't plan as a financial strategy, but rather as an impulsive and almost irreverent act of curiosity.
“I’m not bragging. Honestly, it was like winning the lottery. It was the craziest thing. Like, who would do that, to begin with? And it was a crazy coincidence of luck that I made that decision. I connected with and was friends with absolutely crazy people my whole life. And I was criticized for it, people hated my friends and judged me for it. I have this talent for seeing the light in the darkness in all kinds of people. And I say in the book, I say, well, many times that backfires on me, but there’s always a reward. There’s always a reward for the risks I take,” Bottum explained.
He concluded: “And that’s an example of reward, considering my boyfriend was unbearable. I loved him. He was amazing and very intelligent. And I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. And in terms of something concrete, yes, he made me a millionaire. So, that’s it.”
Even with this financial comfort, Bottum emphasized that his commitment to music remains intact. The musician continues to produce new works with bands like Imperial Teen and other projects. “There’s no urgency to make money. I have that security. It’s a luxury. But I make music every day,” he concluded.
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