# In 2003, Carly Simon auctioned the secret behind ‘You’re So Vain’. $50,000 bought an answer nobody could share

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-2003-carly-simon-auctioned-the-secret-behind-youre-so-vain-50000-bought-an-answer-nobody-could-share/
- Published: 2026-11-02T19:34:36+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T20:34:47+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/carly-simon-auctioned-identity-youre-so-vain-subject-2003/
- Topics: Paranormal, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- Ebersol paid $50,000 to learn the song’s subject.
- He agreed to keep the identity secret.
- Simon later confirmed the second verse was about Warren Beatty.

## Summary

Carly Simon’s 1972 hit ‘You’re So Vain’ remains famous partly because the identity of its subject has never been made public. In 2003, Simon auctioned the right to learn the name to raise money for charity, turning the song’s enduring mystery into a private prize.

NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol won with a $50,000 bid, but agreed not to tell anyone who the subject was. The prize also included a private performance and lunch of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Simon later said the second verse was about Warren Beatty, who had said the song was about him, while leaving the identities behind the other verses unresolved.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.