Dave Mustaine has hiked the price of his Cameo appearances after just a couple of days on the video messaging site. The 59-year-old MEGADETH leader increased the initial cost of a message from $150 to $250, suggesting he was a popular addition to the web site. In a short video message announcing his partnership with Cameo, Mustaine said: "Hey, I'm Dave Mustaine and I'd like to invite you to have me send a personalized greeting from Cameo for you to your friends. I can say 'Happy birthday,' 'Happy anniversary,' 'Merry Christmas,' 'Happy Hanukkah' — whatever. Or my personal favorite is, like, 'F—.' No, we won't get into that here. But I will tell you that if you do have me do a Cameo for you, a portion of the proceeds will go to charities that I support." The brainchild of founder Steven Galanis, Chicago-based Cameo has been around since 2017. It reportedly features more than 40,000 celebrities — from musicians and actors to drag queens and from YouTubers to Olympic gold medalists — who, for fees from $1 to $2,500, will offer video messages that mention another person by name. Happy birthday messages are common, as are baby announcements, but some celebrities have also recorded messages for Cameo users looking to quit their jobs or ask a potential date to a prom. The price for a video is determined by the celebrity. In 2020 alone, the company fulfilled more Cameos than throughout its four-year history, with Cameos delivered on every continent in the world and it raised over $1 million for worthy nonprofits and causes through its Cameo Cares program. Stars are able to set their own prices on Cameo, which has seen some celebrities accused of taking advantage of their eager and devoted fans. Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, who was fired from the band in May, was charging Cameo purchasers only $25 per video when he joined the platform last year. Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. A replacement bassist has not yet been announced. MEGADETH is scheduled to take part in "The Metal Tour Of The Year" with LAMB OF GOD, beginning on August 20 in Austin. MEGADETH is also slated to appear at the SLIPKNOT-curated Knotfest in September in Iowa. Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest departure.
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