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After a few months of touring, checks finally started rolling in, with Duff receiving his first royalty check of $80,000—equivalent to around $219,000 today. However, he admitted that he was unprepared for the financial responsibilities that came with sudden fame. In his words, “What am I supposed to do? I heard all these stories about the depression from my parents; I don’t want to spend it all."
The band initially divided its publishing royalties fairly evenly, with Duff, Izzy, and Slash receiving 20% each, while Axel took home 25% and Steven Adler 15%. This division amounted to a total of $400,000 shared between the members in 1988, a sum that would be worth around $1.1 million today.