Why David Gilmour Wants to ‘Be Rid’ of Pink Floyd’s Catalog

David Gilmour has expressed his desire to sell the Pink Floyd catalog, but his reasons go beyond financial gain.

In a recent discussion with Rolling Stone, the guitarist revealed that a potential sale of Pink Floyd’s catalog is still “something that is still in discussion.”

Although reports suggest that the deal could bring in $500 million, Gilmour clarified that financial motives are not a driving factor in his eagerness to sell.

“To be rid of the decision making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream,” Gilmour explained, alluding to ongoing disputes with ex-bandmate Roger Waters. “I am not interested in [a catalog sale] from a financial standpoint. I’m only interested in it from getting out of the mud bath that it has been (going) for quite a while.”

Gilmour pointed out that Pink Floyd decisions are governed by a veto system, and they often face the challenge of “three people saying yes, but one person saying no.”

Back in 2022, reports indicated that the band was on the verge of finalizing a massive deal. However, negotiation delays and a series of politically charged comments from Waters put those talks on hold. Despite Gilmour’s willingness, it appears a catalog sale is no longer imminent.

In another part of the Rolling Stone interview, Gilmour avoided commenting on his ongoing quarrels with Waters.

“It’s something I’ll talk about one day, but I’m not going to talk about that right now,” said the guitarist. “It’s boring. It’s over. As I said before, he left our pop group when I was in my 30s, and I’m a pretty old chap now, and the relevance of it is not there. I don’t really know his work since. So I don’t have anything to say on the topic.”

When reminded of the strong tweets he and his wife Polly Samson posted in 2023 – including Samson’s statement calling Waters “antisemitic to your rotten core” – Gilmour was candid.

“People talk about the battle, but to me it’s a one-way thing that’s been going on since he left with different levels of intensity,” he noted. “I agreed with [Polly’s] piece and said so. Again, that’s all. I don’t really have anything extra to add to this, any other lights to shine on that.”