Rebecca Black Is Not Getting Rich Off Of "Friday"

Earlier this week, Forbes reported that “Friday” singer Rebecca Black is “laughing to the bank.” But today, Slate’s Annie Lowrey writes:

Rebecca Black might yet be vindicated musically or culturally. But not financially: At least for now, she’s probably no more than a thousandaire.

Which brings up an interesting question: Is exposure an indicator of success? Is the young girl who spawned hundreds of gifs a successful artist? If her goal was to sing a pop song and have her own video, well, she certainly succeeded. But when it comes to making money, we can’t be so sure. Lowrey crunches the numbers and claims that “Friday” has made about $40,000, of which “Black might be taking home half or less.” Not bad, since her parents shelled out two grand for the project.

Did Rebecca Black really make $1 million from “Friday”? [Slate]