Category: Press & Awards

  • Mike Merrill to Executive Produce IPO Series with Amazon and Sony Pictures Television

    Mike Merrill to Executive Produce IPO Series with Amazon and Sony Pictures Television

    Amazon is developing a series inspired by the true story of a man who sold shares of himself to investors, Variety has learned. In a competitive situation, Amazon has landed the project, titled “JNNA.” It is described as a half-hour comedy about the next big investment craze — humans. It is inspired by Mike Merrill,…

  • The Man Who Sold Shares of Himself

    The Man Who Sold Shares of Himself

    What drove a man to give 805 investors complete control over his major life decisions? BY ZACHARY CROCKETT Ten years ago, Mike Merrill was at a career crossroads. So, the 30-year-old did what any other aspiring entrepreneur would do: He divided himself into 100k shares at $1 apiece and let people on the internet buy a…

  • Meet The Man Selling Influence Over His Personal Life Decisions

    Meet The Man Selling Influence Over His Personal Life Decisions

    In an age of constant connectivity, it’s not uncommon to crowdsource a decision, asking friends, family and strangers on the internet for advice on mundane choices. But Mike Merrill has taken this idea to its logical extreme. In 2008, Merrill launched KmikeyM, a corporate-alter-ego-slash-trading-platform, where investors can purchase stock that gives them voting power over…

  • The World’s First Publicly Traded Human Goes NSFW

    The World’s First Publicly Traded Human Goes NSFW

    By Leah Sottile For almost 10 years, Mike Merrill has sold shares of his very existence. Now he and his 600-plus shareholders are hoping an erotica scheme will boost his sagging stock price. If you really knew Mike Merrill, you would know that it is very un–Mike Merrill–like to lie bare-chested on the floor with his best…

  • Publicly Traded Person: The Man Who Sold Shares Of Himself

    Publicly Traded Person: The Man Who Sold Shares Of Himself

    Mike Merrill is a the world’s first publicly traded person; he’s sold shares of himself and makes decisions based on the votes of his shareholders. Produced by Kristofor Lawson.

  • Meet the Man Who Sold His Fate to Investors at $1 a Share

    Meet the Man Who Sold His Fate to Investors at $1 a Share

    On January 26, 2008, a 30-year-old part-time entrepreneur named Mike Merrill decided to sell himself on the open market. He divided himself into 100,000 shares and set an initial public offering price of $1 a share. Each share would earn a potential return on profits he made outside of his day job as a customer…