Overview
- The U.S. Office of Government Ethics–filed 2025 financial disclosure released June 30–July 1 reports a $10.71 million licensing payment tied to the Amazon MGM film Melania.
- Industry reporting says Amazon MGM paid about $40 million to acquire the film and spent roughly $35 million on marketing while the documentary earned about $16.6–16.7 million at the box office.
- The disclosure also lists roughly $521,161 from Melania’s memoir and about $6 million in net proceeds from NFTs and other collectibles linked to the First Lady.
- Lawmakers have renewed requests for explanations about whether Amazon’s deal was a routine commercial choice or an effort to influence the administration, and Amazon and Jeff Bezos deny any pay‑to‑play intent.
- Amazon MGM executives say the acquisition followed a competitive bidding process and the film has performed well on Prime Video, and the studio reportedly plans a companion docuseries tied to the project.