How Much Was The Leaked Video Worth?

Ever since the footage of Solange's elevator attack on Jay Z was released there have been a lot of unanswered questions: Why was Solange so mad? Why didn't Beyoncé do anything? What did Jay Z say to Solange? While there has been a massive amount of speculation, none of these answers have been explained and if you're looking for confirmation on anything from the three people involved, it doesn't look like you're going to get it. There is one question that rivals the reasons behind the fight and that is, how did this video get out in the first place? And, furthermore, how much would you get paid to leak such a thing? Well, reportedly, the person who leaked the Solange video was paid $250,000. Think that sounds worth it? It isn't.

According to a source who spoke with Page Six, "[The video] was being shopped for five days to the highest bidder." The source claims that TMZ ended up winning the bidding war and paid $250,000 for the clip.

The Standard Hotel, where the incident took place, has made it clear that they are doing everything they can to find the culprit. Soon after the video was released, the hotel issued a statement saying, "We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our fullest capacity."

$250,000 is A LOT of money, but whoever leaked the video knew that there aren't many people who would have access to this footage. Tony Bañuelos, a tech support specialist who works for A1 Security Cameras, spoke with NBC News and explained that while the footage could have been leaked by someone outside of the hotel's security staff, there is still a small number of people who could access the video. He said that staff at the security company and at the camera's manufacturer may also be able to log in, but to "Think of the video recorder like a locked desktop computer: Each one requires a username and password." Additionally, he said that some devices are able to track who logged in and when and sometimes it's possible to tell if they exported a video.

Not only does the computer trail make it seem easy for this person to get caught, but look at which celebrities we are dealing with. Beyoncé and Jay Z are extremely famous, so a video of Solange fighting Jay Z while her sister looks on, is (if it wasn't already obvious) a huge deal. When Beyoncé and Jay Z are involved, you aren't going to be able to just take you're $250K and move on.

No news of specific suspects has been released but according to the Daily Mail, the "investigation process is ongoing but has been limited to the handful of people." It seems clear that the guilty person will be found and when they do, that big payment from TMZ is going to be meaningless.