This guy sold his last name. Would you sell yours?
By Cahaya
@cahaya1983 (11120)
Malaysia
September 29, 2015 9:36pm CST
His name is (or was?) Jason Sadler, now known as Jason Zook and he became famous for selling his last name to the highest bidder. Twice.
Why would anyone sell their last name, you ask?
The same reason why blog/website owners sell advertising space on their site. In Jason's case, he first became famous for promoting businesses by wearing a shirt bearing a different company's logo every day, taking pictures and uploading videos promoting those companies on social media. It made him a millionaire. So I guess it does make sense for companies to want to buy his last name.
He became Jason Headsets.com in 2012 after the company Headsets.com won the bid and paid $45,000 to change his last name. In 2013, SurfrApp bought his last name for $50,000 and he became Jason SurfrApp. Jason eventually decided to use Zook as his last name because it carries the memory of his great grandfather.
Are you sentimental about your last name? Would you sell it to a company/corporation? 
18 people like this
19 responses
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
1 Oct 15
certainly. i had at least 10 in my lifetime. married 5 times and before that, mom changed mine 5 times. lol
6 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 15
Oh wow, that's a lot of name-changing experience.
4 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
8 Oct 15
@DaddyEvil Oh yeah I didn't think about the problem it would cause if someone wants to apply for a passport to travel. So how do people go about dealing with that problem then?
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
7 Oct 15
@bunnybon7 @cahaya1983 Getting re-married does make some parents want to keep their child's last name the same as theirs, but it can have repercussions for their child(ren) later. One MAJOR problem that might crop up is if Bunny wants to apply for a passport to visit another country...
Any name that is NOT your birth name will cause a red flag to pop up and block that person from getting approved to leave this country or re-enter this country if the name change happened elsewhere!
*Hello, bunnybon7, I remember seeing your name crop up on Bubbs once in a while, didn't I? Nice to see you over here, too!*
Family law in the U.S. is my forte.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
30 Sep 15
@cahaya1983 I agree, this is weird. I know that we can ask to change our first name if it sounds offensive of crazy, there is a complex procedure, but we can.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
I believe very few people would actually do it, even though it's legal. I know some people change their last name due to religious reasons and so on, but what this guy did is very rare for sure.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
@LadyDuck Exactly. I doubt many people would be wiling to go through all that hassle for no reason anyway.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
30 Sep 15
Sounds quite a unique business strategy but my name is too common and I'd hate having to change it so frequently.
4 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
30 Sep 15
@cahaya1983 But if anyone wants to offer me money to call themselves Smith they are very welcome lol! 
4 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
Yeah it's a unique strategy for sure. I'm surprised those companies were willing to pay that high to buy his name.
4 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
@arthurchappell Haha. Except that they would buy your last name only to change it to theirs. So if Facebook buys your name you'd have to be Arthur Facebook!
4 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
•
30 Sep 15
@cahaya1983 He is very creative for sure.. but I am so sure about wanting to sell my surname.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
@sofssu Haha that would be a dramatic and drastic change for sure.
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
True, money can do that especially when you're really creative and willing to do something out of the ordinary like what that guy did.
3 people like this
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
2 Oct 15
@cahaya1983 Oh, I didn't know that was how it worked. I agree, I wouldn't want a last name like that either.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
30 Sep 15
i find it all purty sad myself. i'd rather be destitute'n to do such nonsense. what'm i sayin'?? i've penned books, wrote fer magazines usin' made up names...so reckon i aint no better, eh?
3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 15
But at least you didn't sell your name for cash! I'm sure he got bored or something and thought better of it, that's why he eventually settled for Zook.
I'm sure he got bored or something and thought better of it, that's why he eventually settled for Zook.3 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 15
@crazyhorseladycx I guess the idea would appeal for people who are willing to go to the extremes to make money. Not for me though, I'm happy with mine.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
1 Oct 15
@cahaya1983 nutbirds i'm tellin' ya - sell their soul to the devil fer a price :(
3 people like this
@rusty2rusty (6751)
• Defiance, Ohio
2 Oct 15
if a company paid me to change my last name. I would do it. I hate my last name. As it is the name of my estranged husband. I no longer want it. How do I find these companies?
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
3 Oct 15
Different countries have different regulations to legally change your last name. In the US I think the laws for each state might be different too. Maybe you can check with your local courthouse?
Well as for those companies...that guy did an e-bay style auction and the companies found him (not vice versa).
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
7 Oct 15
@rusty2rusty Sandy? It is neither expensive nor problematic to have your last name changed. You could have done it very cheaply when you got divorced from your ... OH! You wrote estranged, not ex!
If you file Pro-Se for a divorce, you can add a petition to the court to either have your birth surname restored or you can file a petition Pro-Se, without getting the divorce, relatively cheap if you just want to change your last name.
1 person likes this
@owstalaga (4707)
• Philippines
4 Oct 15
What the heck? Someone even thought of selling off their last name? Why then that means he has lost his original identity (on paper). Now he can be anyone and choose to be someone else all for the sake of doing business. Ah well.
If someone bought my last name think I'd gladly sell it to the highest bidder too! I have last name issues so if it'd make my life easier I would sell it off. 
I have last name issues so if it'd make my life easier I would sell it off. 2 people like this
@owstalaga (4707)
• Philippines
5 Oct 15
@cahaya1983 Ah, just some family issues I wish I never had.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
5 Oct 15
Yeah. I'm not sure if he's still doing it though, after settling with Zook. What sort of issues do you have with your last name?
2 people like this
@marguicha (216330)
• Chile
7 Oct 15
He got a lot of money for his name. So, why not? In some countries (not in mine) women usually change their last names when they get married.
In some countries (not in mine) women usually change their last names when they get married.2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
8 Oct 15
Haha he did make a lot of money that's for sure. Here it's similar to your country, women usually keep their last name after marriage.
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
30 Sep 15
Interesting. So if you could pick a company to sell your last name to, which one would it be?
3 people like this
@rebelann (111413)
• El Paso, Texas
30 Sep 15
@cahaya1983 lets see ........ hummmmm, Oh yeah, the Blue Buffalo Co.
I did tell ya I love kritters, right?
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 15
@rebelann Haha not sure if you told me but if you do, then that makes sense. Blue Buffalo actually sounds cute.
2 people like this
@wiLLmaH (8801)
• Singapore, Singapore
9 Oct 15
@cahaya1983 You are correct. That is a good business idea isn't? :)
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
9 Oct 15
@wiLLmaH Unique, maybe. Good? I'm not very sure. But I'm biased 'cause I love my last name too much to change it, haha.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 15
Yeah it's always the rare, unconventional ideas that attract people (and make money). Let me know when you've figured out what you would do. I suppose it doesn't involve changing names?
2 people like this
@fawkes62 (1276)
• United States
1 Oct 15
I don't think I could do that. Who wants to walk around with some company name as their last name? Obviously that guy, but who else would want to do that? I will stick with my last name, it's the last name we gave our kids, so why would I want to change that?
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
2 Oct 15
I know, right. Can't imagine doing that either, not even for money. It's weird enough already, but also the burden of having to avoid trouble and mistakes so you won't damage the name of whatever company you have as your last name.
2 people like this
@fawkes62 (1276)
• United States
2 Oct 15
@cahaya1983 I hadn't even thought about that part. Those companies definitely wouldn't want their name attached to any sort of trouble you might get in.
2 people like this
@angelaterese13 (52)
• United States
5 Oct 15
Pretty interesting idea - at least it wasn't a permanent thing. I wonder about the headache with all of the changing of social security and credit card information, though.
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
6 Oct 15
Yeah I thought about that too. I don't know how many people would actually go through the hassle to change their name.But then again when it comes to money people are willing to do anything.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
7 Oct 15
I COULD be wrong, but I believe he could get a waiver on changing his documentation if he only applied for a paper name change and kept the rights to his birth surname intact.
When he sold his surname the second time, then he had to go through all the hurdles and red tape because that company's contract demanded his legal rights to his birth surname or the deal was off.
1 person likes this
@swissheart (6482)
• Romania
7 Oct 15
woow that's definitely an interesting story
2 people like this
@wetnosedogs (1533)
• United States
7 Oct 15
Very tempting. I believe for enough money I could do it.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
8 Oct 15
Then let's hope the company that wins the bid doesn't have a weird sounding name.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (80139)
• United States
2 Oct 15
I have no particular allegiance to my last name and if it could make me money I might be tempted LOL
2 people like this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
3 Oct 15
Are you planning a last name auction already?
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29274)
• United Kingdom
1 Oct 15
I don't quite see how you could sell your name unless it is unique to you, a name like Sadler is fairly common (one of Big One's teachers is Mrs Sadler) so what would the business gain by buying the right to use the name Sadler? In fact there is no need to buy it, anyone can legally use any name they please. It seems in this case he wasn't actually selling his name but was selling his use of the company's name instead.
2 people like this
@yeezermac (145)
• Singapore, Singapore
22 Oct 15
The problem with changing names is that one would have to go through the hassle of informing all the institutions which one is listed in of the change. From public libraries to banks to government offices. One would have to see whether this hassle is worth the money offered, I'd say.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11120)
• Malaysia
22 Oct 15
True, although for a sum like $50,000 I'm pretty sure there are a few people who are willing to go through all the hassle.
@yeezermac (145)
• Singapore, Singapore
23 Oct 15
@cahaya1983 50 grand is a lot of money indeed!
1 person likes this
