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Amazon's $40M Melania documentary

Yes, really. Here are the receipts.

What actually happened

In early 2026, Amazon MGM paid $40M for Melania documentary rights, part of a $75M project with $35M marketing. Reports said Melania could receive $28M. Critics called the unusually large deal an attempt to gain favor with the Trump administration.

The receipts

Elizabeth Warren Calls Amazon MGM's $40 Million 'Melania' Bid 'Bribery in Plain Sight,' but Studio Says It Did Nothing 'Improper'
Variety

Amazon reportedly bid $26 million above the next-highest offer — Disney's — for a documentary, a genre that almost never earns back sums like this. The question Warren says Amazon still won't answer...

'Melania' Director Defends Amazon's $75 Million Spend On Documentary, Denies Corruption Allegations
Forbes

Per the Wall Street Journal, the first lady's cut exceeds 70% of the $40 million rights fee — over $28 million. What director Brett Ratner, in his first job since 2017, says he spent it on...

'Melania,' panned by some film critics, opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary
AP

The most expensive documentary ever made opened in 1,778 theaters with the president promoting it as a must watch. What the critics said versus what the red-state box office did...

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