A wacky university student is hoping to make a name for himself – by selling the rights to his MIDDLE NAME on eBay – for £3,000.
Barmy Stuart Levy wants to raise the cash so he can travel to America as well as making a donation to his local football team in the UK.
The 21-year-old decided to put a listing on eBay under the title: Stuart “YOUR COMPANY NAME HERE” Levy.
He has set the minimum bid at £3,000 but hopes businesses with a reputation for using humour in their advertising will see it as a good marketing opportunity.
If a company or individual makes a winning bid, Stuart has vowed to change his passport, driving licence and bank details to include his new name which he has promised will stay for life.
Stuart, who is in his third year of a Business Management degree at the University of Birmingham, said: “I don’t really get middle names and I don’t have one myself so I thought I would let people bid.
“It is a bit of an experiment and it will hopefully get me enough money to do all the things I want and plan to do before I go into full-time work.
“I haven’t had any offers yet, although I have had over 200 views which is great considering I only put it on eBay on Wednesday.
“As the starting bid is £3,000 I am hoping that there will be serious bidders who want to get their company name out there by using my middle name service.
“I have limited it to two words so I won’t have something stupid with ten words, it is just quirky thing to do and might make me stand out on a CV.
“My family and friends are fully behind what I am doing, at first my family didn’t think I would go through with it, but I have.
“If everything goes according to plan and I raise the funds, I would love to travel America and go from the West to the East, hopefully I will be able to do that and still have a bit of money spare.
“I did work experience for a non-league football team who are always strapped for cash, Carlton Town FC in Nottingham so I would certainly donate some to them.
“I also did work experience for a professional basketball team, the Birmingham Knights, so they would hopefully get a bit too, it would be my way of saying thanks for everything those two clubs did for me.
“If it all works out, it will take a bit of pressure off of me and allow me to take a year out from studying before I go into full-time work.”
Stuart, who is from Nottingham, first came up with the idea of selling the rights to his middle name five years ago but only plucked up the courage this week.
He added: “When I was in school someone was joking with a pregnant teacher who was struggling with a name for her baby saying ‘You should sell the name on eBay’.
“I have always remembered that and then recently I spoke to my friend about my idea, he thought it was great so I went ahead with it.
“I know it is quite a quirky thing to do but it might just get my name out there and help me to stand out for future employers.
“As well as that, it might get me a bit of money on the side, I’m really not bothered what my middle name is and am looking forward to watching the bids come in.
“Hopefully there will be a bidding war and I can get a lot more than I hope for.”
Stuart’s bizarre middle name sale ends on March 8.
