The 35-year-old singer The Weeknd, or Abel Tesfaye, and Lyric Capital Group have finalized a business deal in which Lyric has invested in the singer's music catalog from its inception through 2025. Through this collaboration, Abel and his team will retain creative control over his catalog and remain shareholders and owners in the company. A representative for the artist spoke to Variety and noted,"From the beginning of the meeting, it was clear to all at Lyric that Abel would not sell his catalog. He wanted to be more innovative and creative in the way we established a partnership. To that end, through his venture, we constructed and launched a new business model with Abel and his iconic catalog whereby Abel and his team have the freedom to execute their creative vision with the entirety of his rights, both publishing and masters."The rep continued,"This unique catalog deal sets a new standard for artist equity and control."As the news of this deal spread, netizens took to social media to express their opinion. A user (@Bullishhh) believes that Abel could have made more,"I feel like he shorted himself. It’s worth more in my opinion."Fans react as Lyric Capital invests $1 billion in The Weeknd's music catalogNetizens, upon hearing the news, took to Daily Loud's post to express their opinions on The Weeknd's business decisions. While some users congratulated The Weeknd for securing the deal, others alleged that his catalog is worth more.A user (@michealbrwn) claimed that the artist waited for the right time, while Justin Bieber sold his catalog for less,"Bro waited for the right time Justin sold for 600m"Another user (@InvestoRnn92) congratulated the artist for earning the wealth,"He really Earned It… $1 BILLION for the catalog. Legendary. 🎶💵"Another user (@noomb00m) claimed that the artist made the right decision before AI takes over the music industry,"AI music is coming fast. Cashing out before the wave hits might be genius."Another user (@MASTERDOC25) joked over the context of Abel's track making him money,"Bro turned heartbreak into a generational exit strategy."More about The Weeknd's deal with Lyric capitalThe Weeknd's $1 billion deal with Lyric Capital only applies to the artist's music masters and publishing through 2025 and does not involve any future releases. This means that Abel will continue his partnership with XO/Republic/Universal Music Group, and that his publishing catalog is administered by Universal Music Publishing Group.It's unclear if the assets also include merchandise and touring venues, since representatives for the artist and Lyric Capital have refused to confirm any financial figures.