The Really Famous BloggersMike Rappaport

Steven Levitt of Freakonomics fame and of the Freakonomics blog agreed to pay $100 to every person that recognized him in person.  If memory serves, he ended up paying out once, and in circumstances that did not really meet his conditions for the payout.

If you want a widely recognized blogger, it is Tyler Cowan.  Tyler announces that he will not buy a CD for a year.  He then breaks down and goes to the Borders and buys one.  Anonymously, you would think.  But no:

As I carried my CDup to the counter at Borders, the sales clerk smiled gently.  He thenannounced that he was a loyal MR reader who visits the blog twice aday.  I didn’t even have to agonize over whether I was obliged toreport my weakness to you all.

And this isn’t the first time.  Tyler is so famous is daugher, Yana, even gets recognized.