VELVET REVOLVER BASSIST DUFF MCKAGAN WRITES FOR PLAYBOY

LOS ANGELES — Former Guns N’ Roses bassist and current Velvet Revolver rocker Duff McKagan will continue his journalistic career through a new gig as a financial columnist for Playboy. McKagan currently writes a weekly report for SeattleWeekly.com, in which he made the announcement.

“If someone were to tell me five months ago that I'd be busy thinking up things to write about on a weekly basis, I would have actually been happy to hear it,” McKagan said. “As of this week, I will not only be continuing my Seattle Weekly commitment, but also starting a new endeavor as a financial columnist at Playboy.com.”

After quitting Guns N’ Roses in 1998, McKagan invested his royalties from Guns N’ Roses into Microsoft and Starbucks. His interest in finance led him to obtain a degree in the field from the Albers School of Business at Seattle University.

However, his role as a financial spokesperson was by accident.

“It started in 2004 when a writer for some music newspaper asked me about my experience going to business-school after my career with GNR,” McKagan said. “That interview in turn prodded other writers to ask me about money issues within the music biz.”

According to his SeattleWeekly article, McKagan plans to inform and provide clarity through his Playboy column.

“I think part of my mission statement for Playboy may be to perhaps try and shed some light and maybe even bring down some of the criminals on Wall St.,” McKagan said. “Wouldn't that be cool? Maybe be a voice for the people — one that can't be bought.”

McKagan joins the Playboy editorial staff a week after an announcement from the company that it plans to write down more than $100 million and consolidate its online and print operations.

The flagship site, Playboy.com, was recently relaunched and plans to feature more social-networking features and a city guide, in hopes to acquire local ad dollars.