Stuffing an unwanted album into the iTunes accounts of 500 million people doesn’t come cheap. According to various reports, Apple spent in excess of $100 million on marketing for Songs of Innocence, “plus an undisclosed lump sum that goes to U2 as a direct payment,” according to the Verge.
That’s a lot of scratch, until you remember the company we’re talking about.
Apple has an ungodly amount of money in the bank — $150 billion and counting. (Via)
Honestly, it’s not even that much for U2. The 360° Tour alone brought in $736 million, so another multimillion payout means nothing to them. It’s probably Adam Clayton’s allowance for the week.
Or they could buy a brand-new lemon. The old one’s not looking so great.