At 19, a homeless singer said 'no' to a million-dollar deal. Now 32, it earned her something money can't buy
Kilcher explained that she refused the deal because she was scared it would make her famous
Life isn't always fair, and it certainly wasn't for four-time Grammy nominee Jewel Kilcher during her growing-up years. Way before she established herself as a famous singer-songwriter, Kilcher had a tough time dealing with financial struggles and homelessness. Amidst an uncertain future, fate allowed her to bounce back with a life-changing record deal worth a million dollars. But she refused, and thirty-two years later, she still stands by it. In conversation with Blake Mycoskie (@blakemycoskie), Kilcher recalled her decision in a clip posted on March 30. In it, she shared the only reason she said no to the deal.
After graduation, Kilcher moved to San Diego in hopes of a better future. However, things went downhill when she refused her boss' inappropriate behavior and, in return, lost her job. Kilcher ran out of money and hence started living out of her car. However, the Horatio Alger Association reported that she may have struck a streak of bad luck, as someone soon stole her vehicle, leaving her homeless.
Healthwise, also, Kilcher wasn't doing well. In fact, she had developed a severe kidney infection that almost killed her before a doctor gave her antibiotics. Amidst the struggles, the artist went about earning through small musical gigs until fate brought her a life-changing opportunity. Well, Kilcher was offered a $1 million signing bonus for a record deal, but, as a teenager, she turned it down because she felt she wasn't ready for it. Kilcher explained that she refused the deal because she was scared it would make her famous.
"I made myself a promise that my number one job in life would be to learn. I called it being a 'happy whole human,' not a human full of holes," Kilcher told Mycoskie. Moreover, she explained that she wanted to be an artist more than famous, and accepting the million-dollar deal felt like going against her principles. "That became a hierarchical decision-making tree — I didn't know these words at that time, but I would be loyal to that," the singer shared.
Kilcher, who has confessed to turning down the million-dollar deal on several platforms, said she knew fame would make her lose control of her life. In a podcast with ABC News, the singer explained that she wanted to grow her career more organically, even if it meant refusing the deal. "If my record wasn't successful within a year, I would have been dropped, I would have ended up homeless again. I would have had to make a record that was guaranteed to be a hit, which I didn't know how to do. I was a folk singer at the height of grunge," Kilcher added.
A survey of Americans found that almost half of respondents (43%) said they would leave their romantic partner for $1 million. Similarly, 40% said they would readily accept $33 million even if that meant financially ruining someone else. What's more shocking is that 46% of people said they would go as far as risking their lives for $33 million. It explains why, even after decades of Kilcher refusing the deal, she is still remembered for it. In a world where people can go to any extent for financial gain, she chose to remain true to her principles.
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