Assigning value to intellectual properties (IP) is always fraught with peril, because an IP is simply a building block: Until you utilize it effectively, it’s worthless.
I’ll give you an example: Today, the intellectual properties that comprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe — i.e., globally recognized brands like Iron Man, Captain America, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, and more — are worth billions. Each of the aforementioned IPs has appeared in multiple billion-dollar film titles, and the MCU is the most lucrative film franchise in history. In 2024, it became the first film franchise to earn over $30 billion at the box office.
And Sony could’ve bought it all for just $15 million!
Famously, Sony turned Marvel down. As Yair Landau, then a junior executive with Sony, recalled it, "The collective team decided they didn't care about the other Marvel properties, that they didn't want to invest in them. I was told, 'Nobody gives a s*** about anybody but Spider-Man.'"
So Sony spent $10 million on Spider-Man and rejected all the rest. And then, in 2009, Marvel finally sold its massive superhero IPs to a different movie studio — Walt Disney — for a wee bit more than $15 million.
Disney paid $4 BILLION for the same IP that Sony rejected for $15 million!
There’s an important lesson in this: An IP’s value isn’t based on what it is right now but on its capacity to grow. You’re not investing in what it is; you’re investing in what it could become.
(Fun fact: In 2016, President Trump has estimated the Trump IP at $3.3 billion.)
So, when considering the valuation of an IP here are three things to keep in mind:
- How well-known is the IP? (Is it universally recognized by your target audience, or will you need to educate them about what it is?) Furthermore, is it still held in high regard?
- What potential revenue streams could you utilize? (The more revenue streams, the better.)
- How much growth potential is there in the IP? (Are you buying low and selling high?) And if it’s possible to leverage this IP to grow other IPs — which was actually Marvel’s film strategy — even better!
Now let’s focus exclusively on conservative media: What’s the most mismanaged, underutilized, and undervalued IP in our genre?
We have plenty of options, from media brands (Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, Daily Wire, Blaze Media) to best-selling fiction (Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, Animal Farm, 1984). Heck, there’s even a conservative superhero: Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, created the hero Mr. A, based on Ayn Rand’s objectivist philosophy.
In 2010, National Review published a list of the 10 greatest conservative novels by American writers, post-1950. You’ll probably recognize multiple titles. Many have obvious commercial viability.
If we include Christian fiction — and arguably, we should — our list grows even longer. From C.S. Lewis to J.R.R. Tolkien to Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins’ Left Behind series, we’re blessed with an embarrassment of riches.
There are also plenty of big-name conservatives whose star has dimmed and would benefit from an image refresh: Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Ann Coulter, Jordan Peterson, and Michael Savage.
And, sadly, there are also lots of dead conservatives: Charlton Heston, John Wayne, Paul Harvey, G. Gordon Liddy, Tom Clancy, William F. Buckley, Barry Goldwater, Antonin Scalia, Andrew Breitbart, and Ronald Reagan. They may be dead, but they’re certainly not forgotten — and with advances in A.I. and voice/video generation, we’re living in an age where death isn’t the end of an IP’s utility.
Which, in my humble opinion, is where the most mismanaged, underutilized, and undervalued conservative IP now is: Rush Limbaugh and the Rush Limbaugh Show.
El Rushbo’s “talent on loan from God” was reclaimed by the Almighty on Feb. 17, 2021. In the five years since, he’s gone from the most ubiquitous presence in conservative media — 15 live hours of entertainment each week, plus his website, plus the Limbaugh Letter, plus his best-selling nonfiction books, plus social media, plus his Rush Revere book series for children. (Not to mention his national TV show, which ran from 1992 to 1996.)
And today… crickets and tumbleweeds.
Limbaugh was on the air for over 30 years. Presumably, his estate owns the vast archives of his work — more than 10,000 hours of live commentary and entertainment.
During his legendary, history-making media career, Limbaugh opined about virtually every political topic and social trend imaginable. Why isn’t it available to the public?
At his peak, Limbaugh was on 600 radio stations, with over 30 million weekly listeners. That’s extraordinary!
It also makes him the perfect candidate for an IP investment, because he’s still one of the biggest names in conservative media. His fans still love and respect him more than anyone else.
Why isn’t his estate monetizing his life's work? It makes no sense!
Given the sheer magnitude of his content, it’d be perfect for AI: That treasure trove of data could be repurposed in all kinds of innovative ways.
But even without AI, there’s still a demand to hear Limbaugh’s voice. And given how ideologically consistent he was, his commentary on taxes, liberal protesters, abortion, etc., is just as relevant now as it was in his heyday.
Why does his estate make it so difficult for his fans to access his work?!
If a conservative media company (Fox News, Daily Wire, etc.) relaunched The Rush Limbaugh Show, it wouldn’t just draw ratings; it could also be a springboard for other talent, because everything could be packaged together: 40 minutes of “classic” Rush every hour, plus 20 minutes of the New Guy (or Gal).
You could leverage Limbaugh’s name recognition and goodwill to elevate younger, newer talent.
Between 2013 and 2015, Limbaugh wrote five children’s books — his Rush Revere series. They were fantastic books, too. (My kids loved ‘em.) Why not keep his legacy alive by continuing the series under the watchful eye of the Limbaugh estate?
Walt Disney’s been dead for nearly 60 years, and his IPs are still entertaining fans (and raking in cash). (Mega)-dittos for Stan Lee. Couldn’t Limbaugh do the same?
And even if his estate didn’t want anyone to write additional books, what about a film/TV adaptation of Rush’s stories? If his goal was reaching kids, wouldn’t that be an effective vehicle?
What about the Limbaugh Awards for conservative excellence? Or an annual Dan’s Bake Sale gala with conservative speakers?
There are countless ways to keep Rush’s legacy front and center… but nothing’s being done!
Rush Limbaugh has now been gone for over five years — with barely any media presence whatsoever anymore — and his fans are STILL heartbroken over his absence. It speaks volumes of his impact: With his wit, charm, and good cheer, he forged such a powerful emotional connection with his audience that not even death could shatter the bond.
But it’s been five years. People get older. Fans forget.
Audiences move on.
And eventually, even the Dittoheads will move on. Which means, Limbaugh’s estate doesn’t have unlimited time to monetize his work. Each day — and every year — the number of fans who adored Limbaugh is dwindling.
It’s still a huge audience, but his estate is squandering its opportunity to further his legacy. All that content is just sitting there, collecting dust, educating and/or entertaining no one.
The Rush Limbaugh IP should be generating hundreds of millions each year. Instead of being silenced, his voice should be amplified — repurposed and repositioned for the next generation of “skulls full of mush.” The world still needs Rush Limbaugh.
And that’s the way it REALLY ought to be.
One Last Thing: 2026 is a critical year for America First: It began with Mayor Mamdani declaring war on “rugged individualism” and will reach a crescendo with the midterm elections. Nothing less than the fate of the America First movement teeters in the balance.
Never before have the political battlelines been so clearly defined. Win or lose, 2026 will transform our country.
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