Business05 September, 20262 min read
Colombian Chismosa Miryam Sells Neighborhood Gossip for Cash, Says It Bought Two Houses
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67-year-old Miryam in Armenia, Quindío, sells neighborhood gossip for cash. She says the business helped her buy two houses.
Gossip for cash
A 67-year-old Colombian woman, Miryam, says she earns money selling neighbourhood gossip and claims it helped her buy two houses. Miryam, who lives in Armenia in Colombia's Quindío department, described herself as a professional “chismosa” and said, “I love gossip,” in an interview shared by content creator Lady Daniella and later reported by Gulf Today. In that same account, she said she positions herself outside her home and keeps a notebook to record details she hears, explaining, “I can be here talking with you, but my little ears are well positioned to listen to what people are saying.”
She told interviewers that her rates depend on the nature of the information, saying she charges between 5,000 and 10,000 Colombian pesos for less sensational pieces of gossip, while more sensitive secrets can fetch considerably more. Miryam also said she meets friends at her second house to play Parcheesi and other board games as another opportunity to exchange neighbourhood information.
Evidence and pricing
Miryam said she does not sell rumours without evidence and showed an interviewer a board covered with photographs and other material that she claimed backed up some of her stories. In the Economic Times account, she insisted, “I never say anything without evidence,” describing the importance of the material she collects. She also described a pricing model that includes payments to keep secrets private, saying, “She gives me money so I won't tell him, and he gives me money so I won't tell his wife and children,” in the Economic Times report.
One of her most expensive pieces of gossip, according to multiple reports, involved a man she claimed was unfaithful to his wife whenever she travelled, and she said she was paid 700,000 Colombian pesos to remain silent. The Economic Times also said she showed viewers a large piggy bank containing coins and banknotes, which she claimed represented what she earns from selling gossip in a typical week.
Viral attention and backlash
Miryam’s story, first surfaced after content creator Lady Daniella featured her in a 2024 TikTok interview, has been described as going viral across international media. Open Magazine said Miryam’s business is built around collecting information about her neighbours and charging people who want to know what is going on, while also noting she carries a notebook and keeps photographs and other material inside her home. In the India Today account, she said her reputation has earned her the nickname “Queen of Gossip,” and she added, “Gossip is my life; it runs through my blood.”
“Her unusual story first surfaced after content creator Lady Daniella featured her in a 2024 TikTok interview.”
Not everyone is amused, and NDTV reported that some neighbours have reportedly criticised her for invading people's privacy, even as she said people who once objected now come back because they remain curious. The Times of India also quoted Miryam saying, “Wherever you go, there's gossip, so it will never end,” framing her view that gossip will keep providing material for her business.