What's The Value Of Your "Intangible Assets"?

We've often said that your "intangible assets" can be as valuable a your tangible assets. Here's an example of what we mean...

Anthony Robbins, the motivational guru, is trading big-time—solely on his name, reputation and charisma. The 39-year-old has become chairman and majority owner of a publicly traded dot-com company whose value, even though they don't have a website yet, now exceeds $480 million! Robbins deal reinforces the fact that virtually everything imaginable is tradable.

The new company, GHS, aims to develop the eBay of personal and professional empowerment. Robbins, who put in no cash, has a stake worth $276 million after the media banking powerhouse Allen & Co. (a major investor in the original company—an obscure provider of medical services) did a reverse merger and invested $15 million as well.

The medical business was spun off to GHS's shareholders in a separate company, leaving a public shell from which Robbins will launch a yet-to-be-named self-improvement web site.

The new agreement concluded in May. When Wall Street heard that Robbins was involved and GHS would become a dot.com company, its stock soared from 75¢ to $12. Thus giving Allen & Co., and some of its executives, a $48 million paper gain on their original $250,000 investment in GHS 15 years ago.

Robbins will give the new venture exclusive online rights to his name and his current web site, anthonyrobbins.com—which will be folded into GHS. (However, Robbins $80 million a year business of selling books and seminars will remain private.)

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