How Much Did Microsoft Pay The Person Who Clicked Windows XP's Iconic Wallpaper?

The creator of the “most viewed photo in the world” has spoken out about the incredible lengths he had to go through in order to deliver it after it fell into the hands of a very well-known customer. Here’s what he said.

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Chuck O’Rear clicked the iconic Windows XP wallpaper

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You’ve undoubtedly seen the infamous photograph taken by 81-year-old Chuck O’Rear in 1996 while travelling through California on a regular basis. The photographer had no idea what was in store for the picture, which to him was “just another picture,” so it was simply a case of “right place, right time.”

In a People interview, ORear stated: “I always carry a camera with me, because you just never know. I used to stop frequently to take pictures. The scenery there, in my opinion, was breathtaking.”

This only serves to make the entire tale more heartwarming, in my opinion. The photograph in question, titled Bliss, was taken during a pit stop on his way to meet his future wife, Daphne Larkin, in Marin County, California. Although you might not have given it much thought since, anyone who uses a Windows computer will probably recognise the image.

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The payment had to be delivered through FedEx 

The image went on to become the iconic default desktop image on Windows XP, an image we were all greeted with after school as we waited for MSN to load.

That’s right, O’Rear’s casual snapshot was later snatched by Microsoft after Bill Gates’ Corbis group bought Westlight stock photo agency in 1998. “Can’t lie, I thought the picture had been digitally altered or at the very least photo-shopped, but it turns out that wasn’t the case,” he said.

The precise amount is unknown, but we do know that the tech giant paid a “low six-figure” sum of money, or more than $100,000, to acquire Bliss. The transaction wasn’t exactly simple, though. 

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O’Rear received such a sizable payment for the photograph that FedEx ‘wouldn’t touch it’ due to the expense of the insurance. This required O’Rear to board a plane and travel to Microsoft’s Seattle office to hand-deliver the original photograph.

Although receiving a paycheck and a free flight made the effort worthwhile, O’Rear was ultimately paid more than the photographer whose photograph Microsoft also used. 

In contrast, Peter Burin only got paid $45 for the “Autumn” wallpaper. You must admit that you would be extremely disappointed. 

O’Rear worked for National Geographic for more than 20 years as a photographer, but without a doubt, Bliss is his most well-known work, and it continues to do so today.      

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