Chinese Democracy they had cost $12 million." On March 26, 2008, media reported that soft drinks manufacturer Dr Pepper would offer a free can of its product to everyone in America—excluding former Guns N' Roses guitarists Buckethead and Slash—if the band released "Chinese Democracy" in 2008. Later that day, Rose wrote of his surprise at the company's support on the Guns N' Roses website, and said he would share his Dr Pepper with Buckethead as "some of Buckethead's performances are on "Chinese Democracy"". After it was announced that the album would be released in 2008, Dr Pepper confirmed that it would uphold
Chinese Democracy Geffen had removed "Chinese Democracy" from its release schedule and withdrawn funding, stating: "Having exceeded all budgeted and approved recording costs by millions of dollars, it is Mr. Rose's obligation to fund and complete the album, not Geffen's." Around that time, manager Merck Mercuriadis said the album was close to complete. According to a March 2005 "New York Times" article, production costs for the album had reached $13 million, making it probably the most expensive recording "never made". Mercuriadis dismissed the article, writing in a letter that the newspaper's sources had not been involved with the project for several years.