In a move that should bring substantial more money to author JK Rowling, the blockbuster ‘Harry Potter’ book series is expected to go digital for the first time ever, 14 years after the 1997 release of ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone.’
All seven of the books will soon become available via the iPad and the Kindle e-reader, and should net Rowling £100 million.
Scotsman cites Rowling’s agent as confirming the imminent deal.
Rowling has an estimated fortune nearing $1 billion USD, following the record sales of the books, the films, the DVD/Blu-rays and other merchandise.
One editor added:
Experts believe that move could revolutionize the world of electronic publishing, triggering rocket sales of e-book readers such as Kindle and the iPad.
Result for: fortune
Fortune has reported today that Apple iPad orders are finally shipping within 24 hours, the first time the tablet has shipped within a day since its launch in April.
It took 170 days for supply to catch up to demand on the popular tablet.
Apple has been struggling to get production moving since the iPad sold out during launch weekend.
The iPad 3G launch was pushed back a few weeks and the international rollout of the tablet was pushed back a full month.
Orders from Apple.com, at their worst, had shipping delays of 15 business days. By May, that number had dropped to 7-10 and by July it had hit 3 days.
The iPhone 4 still has a three-week delay.
Result for: fortune
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been named “CEO of the Decade” this month by Fortune magazine, mainly for the historic marks he has left in multiple industries.
Jobs, best known for being behind the company that created the Mac computer and the iPod media device, won the award after almost 25 years in the business.
Apple was founded in 1985 but Jobs was ousted from his position in the mid-90s. When he returned in 1997, the company’s stock price had been deflated to $2. Today the stock stands at $188, about $15 off its all-time high despite a grueling global depression.
Jobs also purchased Pixar in 1986, and was behind helping the studio becoming an animation powerhouse unrivaled in the industry.
