Hung Up on Coco
One of the most bizarre Madonna related stories of this new decade appeared on the pages of the New York Post today:
Madonna has become so nuts for coconut water that she recently invested about $1.5 million in one of the leading makers of the drink, which has taken Hollywood and The Big Apple by storm, the New York Post reports.
Her manager Guy Oseary told On the Money in an exclusive interview last week that the superstar decided to invest after she learned about the product from a September story in The Post.
Oseary is also investing seven figures in the company, New York-based Vita Coco, and has rounded up pals like actors Mathew McConaughey and Demi Moore, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, who are making smaller, but “significant investments.”
Madonna, who Oseary said started drinking coconut water on her world tour last year, doesn’t look like she is going to be a passive investor – she’s already lobbing some business ideas at company founder Michael Kirban. For example, she thinks it would be a marketing winner if the company made coconut-water popsicles.
Madonna is so enthusiastic about coconut water that she drank fresh juice daily on the overseas leg of the Sticky & Sweet tour. There is also talk that she might make a follow-up investment.
Oseary said he and Madonna were attracted to the financial side of the business because it is vertically integrated – they own their own factories – and because they are independent. “The fact that they are saying no to everyone who wants them is pretty cool,” he said. “You want to go to the party that no one else is invited to.”
From the New York Post.
• It was officially confirmed today by Vita Coco CEO and co-founder Michael Kirban that entertainment manager Guy Oseary and his client Madonna invested in Vita Coco. Oseary also brought on board Matthew McConaughey, Demi Moore and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis as additional Vita Coco investors.
“This group of investors chose to invest because they’ve all been brand loyalists, drink Vita Coco regularly and believe in the growth potential of the Vita Coco brand,” stated Kirban.
From a Business Wire press release.
• In related news, it appears that Guy Oseary is also the reported second choice to replace Simon Cowell on “American Idol“. According to Deadline Hollywood, the show’s first choice to take Cowell’s place is former Sony Music boss Tommy Mottola, who helmed the company during Michael Jackson’s heyday and was once married to Mariah Carey and now is Mexican song idol Thalia’s husband.
The only problem seems to be that apparently Cowell also has his eyes on Mottola as a possible judge for his soon-to-launch reality talent competition “The X Factor,” and here’s where Guy’s name pop’s out as second best.
From an article by MTV.com.