Mike Merrill is a Publicly Traded Person and since 2008 he's been selling shares in himself to strangers online. Everything from where he works, to what he eats, what he wears, and even who he dates all need to be approved by the shareholders.
The shareholders for instance mandated that Merrill change his political allegiances and switch from democrat to republican - a controversial decision that even Merrill wasn't expecting.
"I absolutely did not expect that to pass," he says. "One would maybe assume or think that I would be a republican and so maybe it fits the larger brand of Publicly Traded Person."
"I think there was a little bit of messing with me from the shareholders at the time... They were like 'Ok yeah you be a republican, see how that works for you'."
Merrill's girlfriend, Marijke Dixon, had to go through a shareholder approval process and even enter a relationship contract in order to date Merrill.
But while most people might find the idea of a relationship contract restrictive or even insulting, Dixon says it helps make their relationship expectations clear.
"It's a guideline and you do think about it," she says. "You're like, I haven't done this in a while and that's part of it."
"Cleaning the car is part of it and I'll think Mike hasn't cleaned the car I guess I could remind him that he needs to do that."
"If you know somebody and you trust them, then why wouldn't you let them do something you know that brings them pleasure and is entertaining and brings value to your life."
When Merrill started the project his share price was $1 - but as people started buying in to his idea the share price rose dramatically and has at times been as high as $20.
Aaron Parecki holds more than 550 shares out of the 5,245 shares that have been made public so far, making him Merrill's largest shareholder by a considerable margin. At current market value Parecki's holding is worth close to $8,000 - a lot of money to have tied up but Parecki considers it an investment.
"I was really interested in the idea that other people can control what he's doing to some extent," Parecki says. "People always ask friends for advice but you don't always get the best advice when you ask friends because they like you and they want to make sure not to offend you.
"You don't have that same problem when it's total strangers giving you that advice."
And while Merrill has so far been happy with most of the decisions his shareholders have made, Parecki says there's always potential for people to game the system.
"There's a few of us who, you know, in theory get together and make some deciding votes for certain things," Parecki says. "Not many other people would have a say in the matter really."
"I don't know if that's exactly what Mike expects from this but it could certainly happen."
But while the thought of letting more than 1000 people decide your fate might not be everyone's cup of tea, Merrill says he still feels like he's the one in power.
"I do feel like I'm in control," he says. "I'm the one sort of asking for that advice and I think that's actually the position of power."
"If it's something I'm not considering I'm probably not going to post it up for a vote."
"I can't think of anything that's either passed or hasn't passed that I still feel any regret or remorse about at all."
And while Merrill's life might seem unconventional to some, he says it's more than lived up to his expectations.
"I'm not sure if I make better decisions now but I think I make decisions a lot more confidently now," he says. "Having that community of people sort of back you up... I think what it does is it eliminates a lot of doubt and second guessing."
"I read a lot of science fiction growing up... So, I think I'm doing pretty well from my kind of 10-year-old self point of view."
Produced and edited by Kristofor Lawson.
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