Ed Sheeran performs for free as he helps Sir Richard Branson’s son Sam celebrate his 38th birthday on his billionaire father’s Necker Island

Ed Sheeran usually charges upwards of £500,000 for a private performance, but the pop superstar happily performed at Sam Branson’s birthday party for free.

Sam is an aspiring musician who performs under the name Waves Rush. He celebrated his 38th with a party on Necker Island, which is owned by his father, billionaire Virgin magnate Sir Richard Branson.

While Sam took center stage, Sheeran, 32, joined him on guitar. Sam performed his own song, 7 Billion, with his wife, former actress Isabella Calthorpe, and Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia as backing vocalists.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this would happen – 7 Billion playing alongside these talented, humble and beautiful people,” says Sam, who was previously pictured posing for the camera with Ed.

Sheeran befriended Sam after being asked to play at his sister Holly’s wedding to shipbroker Freddie Andrewes on Necker in 2011.

Good Times: Sam is an aspiring musician who performs under the name Waves Rush. He celebrated his 38th with a bash on Necker Island

Meanwhile, the Shape Of You hitmaker allegedly advised Branson to release 7 Billion, a love song for his wife of ten years Isabella, the half-sister of actress Cressida Bonas.

Sheeran’s wide variety of recent marketing relationships highlight his “distinctive mix of attractive qualities” and how his “authenticity is key,” brand experts said today.

For the singer’s latest project, he became a “brick specialist” at the Lego store at the Mall of America in Minnesota on Saturday.

He donned a Lego apron and T-shirt, signed products, handed out gifts and took photos with fans – before performing a version of his song Lego House. Experts told MailOnline that celebrities who make similar endorsements can earn up to £2 million.

It follows a series of collaborations Sheeran has been working on with other brands over the past few months as he took his album Subtract around the world. He’s currently playing gigs across North America – with 11 more dates before the end of next month.

Subtract was Sheeran’s sixth studio album and became the UK’s fastest-selling album of 2023 in May – but it will be his last record with his current record label.

And he’s recently worked on projects with brands from Peloton to Honest Burgers and American Express to Heinz. Experts said it was important to him to “protect the Sheeran brand” and avoid deals that would “detract” from his music.

Surprise: Sheeran became “brick specialist” for the day at the Lego store in Minnesota on Saturday

Busy man: The singer has signed a deal with Honest Burgers with its new sauce brand Tingly Ted’s

Speaking to MailOnline today about this range of links, PR expert Sean O’Meara, managing director of Manchester-based agency Essential Content, said: ‘Ed will be an attractive ambassador for a range of brands across a range of industries. I can’t think of many people who would pair well with Heinz Ketchup and American Express.

‘He has a distinctive mix of appealing qualities; people see him as relatable and authentic, he is atypical of the male pop star archetype – and very much leaning towards it – which further increases the appeal, and – so far – he has managed to spend more than a decade at the top of navigating his game without even a hint of scandal.

“In fact, he came out of his recent copyright legal battle with Marvin Gaye’s estate looking pretty statesmanlike, an advocate for all artists.”

In April, Sheeran was acquitted of copying Marvin Gaye’s classic song Let’s Get It On after a New York jury at the £80 million trial ruled that he had independently created his 2014 single Thinking Out Loud.

O’Meara added that Sheeran’s audiences had “witnessed his evolution from scruffy boy-next-door to married man with kids.”

He continued, “And that really opens up the range of brand partnership opportunities where he can add value. Its authenticity is key. It’s easy to picture family man Ed Sheeran eating at Honest Burger, messing around with Lego, and even using guided audio on a nature walk.

And we can equally imagine global megastar Ed Sheeran using American Express and partnering with Global Radio.

“In terms of audience reach, he’s consistently in the elite of global pop stars, alongside Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, so whether he’s helping to flop Lego or Peloton’s latest app, the brands’ visibility is guaranteed.”