Man auctions off soul online

DES MOINES, Iowa (AFP) – A lot of odd things are for sale on the Internet – but a soul may be among the oddest. Nathan Wright, 24, who lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, the Midwestern state’s largest city, recently sold his soul over the Internet.

The Gen-Xer first offered his soul on eBay but after a few days, the site pulled his auction.

Wright isn’t the first person to attempt to auction his soul over eBay – but he may be the first person to have a successful sale.

People magazine reported last year that 20-year-old Adam Burtle had tried selling his soul. By the time eBay officials removed the offering, it was up for $400.

"It all started when I was selling normal stuff like a computer monitor and mouse," Wright said. "You start listing one thing and then you look around your house and say, ‘Well, what else could I sell?’"

Undaunted by eBay’s decision to pull the auction, the advertising agency Web designer moved it to Yahoo. He said selling his soul was also a way to get publicity for his online magazine, Monkeycube.com.

The auction ended and the highest bid was for a paltry $31.

The buyer will get a tiny jar that may or may not have contained fudge but now, Wright says, has his soul.

"Shameless self-promotion, or humorous commentary on Internet culture? That’s for you to decide," said Wright.