I call bullshit. Anshe Chung, the Second Life character BusinessWeek dubbed a virtual land baroness, is supposedly now worth $1m. Chung's creator claims that's the combined value of the avatar's real estate in the online community and Linden currency, which can, at least in theory, be converted into U.S. dollars. Wonders never cease: even Robert Hof of BusinessWeek, whose cover story began the Chung hype in the first place, is skeptical. I relate this all with a straight face, but I still find it rather hard to believe that someone can become a millionaire through virtual-world creations. Let's be generous, and assume that the net worth estimate isn't an outright lie; nevertheless, if Chung's owner ever decided to liquidate those assets, their speculative value would evaporate. They have as much value as a large holding in a mafia-pumped penny stock.

Contact information for this author is not available.