Boy Genius Sells Blog For Millions
Life is something lifelong. We can’t expect to get an apple the very day we plant the seed. We have to wait keep our self calm and discharge few duties regularly like watering and fertilizing the plant. We have to have patience. Then after a period of three or three and half years only we can enjoy delicious and tasty apples. Similar is the story of Jonathan Geller popularly known as Boy Genius. And last weeks events establish him as a genius.
His three and half year old blog was sold for millions of dollars to Mail.com Media Corp. (MMC) (source here)
Geller at the tender age of 16 started developing connections in the mobile phone industry. His liaisons were strong enough to provide him information, photographs and inside stuff about some cool and hot phones a year ago before their launch. To build an online reputation Geller updated this information on online forums and gained name under the alias of Boy Genius.
His growing fame on forums attracted Ryan Block who was then one of the editors on Engadget the AOL’s blog about consumer electronics. He realized that if Boy Genius had to make reputation he needs exposure to bigger audience and Engadget could be a platform which could be beneficial for both.
After discussing his idea with Peter Rojas co-founder of Engadget, Bloc offered job to Boy Genius. Anyone running a blog is aware of the fact that in order to build credibility and to add authenticity to your blog identity of the writer should be well established. In this case Geller didn’t want to reveal his identity. Bloc had to modify many policies of the site. Geller worked under this alias until the last Monday when the deal was finalized. Till then none of his co-workers knew who the Boy Genius really is.
In October 2006 Boy genius started writing a column on Engadget with the separate entity Boy Genius Report. His efforts and originality of content brought him 1.5 million readers per month. The most amusing and interesting fact is that no one knew who was behind the mask of Boy Genius before this week or we can say before this deal
There were few attempts to unmask him like an incident of a Palm worker who was obsessive with the thought of revealing Geller’s identity. This worker tried many tactics. He used to send ominous notes about the blogger’s family and his whereabouts to his inbox in a fruitless attempt to scare him into silence.
In his childhood days Geller was inspired by a music executive named Justin Smith, who used this alias of Boy Genius, and inspiration made him adopt this alias for him but one thing is for sure that Geller made more bucks then his Idol.
Geller quotes that in initial days when he started sharing leaks of Big Brands it was nothing less then a huge blow to their reputation. But these days 70% of leaks are intentional or can be said part of promotional/marketing strategy. It is like something unlawful has been made legitimate. Things change over time. Some changes make fortunes for some people.
After the acquisition Boy Genius Report will be renamed BGR.com, will expand into a number of new areas beyond mobile phones and is looking to hire. Geller will continue to oversee editorial and business operations with the title editor in chief.
We wish Boy Genius Good Luck and Loads of Readers and Dollars.
Photo & Story Credits: latimesblog
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