Celebs Who Landed Major Book Deals And Got Paid Insane Amounts Of Money To Write About Themselves
That's way too much money.
Celebrities can turn almost anything into a payday, and book deals are one of the biggest examples. When a famous name lands on a publisher's list, the advance can climb into eye-watering territory before a single page even hits shelves.
This roundup looks at some of the biggest celebrity book advances ever reported, from presidents and royals to comedians, musicians, and actors. The numbers are wild, and they show just how much publishers are willing to pay for a story with built-in attention.
Some of these deals were for memoirs, others for joint projects, but every one of them came with a massive check. The amounts get more surprising the farther down the list goes.
1. The Obamas (2017) - $65 million advance for a joint book deal.
The two books are Barack's "A Promised Land" and Michelle's "Becoming." It's the most expensive presidential book deal in history, won by Penguin Random House, which was the highest bidder.
Scott Olson / Getty Images, Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images2. Prince Harry (2021) - $20 million advance for his upcoming memoir.
John Lamparski / Getty Images,3. Britney Spears (2021) - $15 million advance for her upcoming memoir.
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4. Hillary Clinton (2014) - $14 million advance for "Hard Choices."
Paul Zimmerman / WireImage / Getty Images
5. Bill Clinton (2003) - $10 million advance for "My Life."
The book sold 400,000 copies on its first day on the shelves, making it a huge success.
Ian Waldie / Getty Images
6. Bruce Springsteen (2016) - $10 million advance for "Born to Run."
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And speaking of Bill Clinton, here’s the intense deposition moment where he faced questions about Epstein’s death.
7. Amy Schumer (2015) - $8 million advance for "The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo."
Gary Gershoff / FilmMagic / Getty Images, Simon & Schuster
8. Keith Richards (2007) - $7 million advance for "Life."
It sold one million copies in its first year and later became one of the most successful rock books in history.
Ian Gavan / Getty Images
9. Tina Fey (2008) - $6 million advance for "Bossypants."
Marcel Thomas / WireImage / Getty Images
10. Russell Brand (2008) - $3.5 million advance for a two-book deal for "Articles of Faith" and "Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal."
This deal also included Russell's popular first memoir, "My Booky Wook."
Beck Starr / FilmMagic / Getty Images
11. Lena Dunham (2012) - $3.5 million advance for "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned."
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images
12. Aziz Ansari (2013) - $3.5 million advance for "Modern Romance: An Investigation."
Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images
13. Gabourey Sidibe (2015) - $2.5 million advance for "This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare."
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14. Demi Moore (2010) - $2 million advance for "Inside Out."
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images for ABA
If they are paying celebrities this much money, they must be making inconceivable amounts of income from the sales of these books. People enjoy reading about their favorite celebs, and they will gladly spend their money to get to know them better and on a deeper level.
It must be the biggest flex ever to say that you get paid insane amounts of money just to talk about yourself and your life. If any of us mere mortals tried to pull that off, no one would be interested in reading about our boring lives.
Want more unfiltered fame fallout, like the celebrity tell-alls that get brutally honest? Read these 25 celebrity tell-alls that traded Hollywood gloss for total honesty.
