Amazon licenses Melania Trump documentary for $40 million

Amazon MGM Studios agreed to pay a reported $40 million to license a documentary and companion series about First Lady Melania Trump.

What happened

Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million to acquire "Melania" and spent $35 million marketing it; Business Insider reported the price covered the film, a limited theatrical run and a companion docuseries, and the deal was first reported by Puck on 7 January 2025. The president's 2025 disclosure, released on 30 June 2026, reports net proceeds of $10,710,000 to Melania Trump under the film's licence agreement — the figure counted here. The $40 million is the reported gross acquisition cost, not money to the family.

Why it matters

Amazon paid a reported $40 million for a documentary about the president's wife, and his disclosure reports $10.71 million of it reaching her. Senator Elizabeth Warren called the price tag "bribery in plain sight". Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos said it is "just not correct" that the deal was "a way of buying influence" and that it "appears it was a good business decision". In the same year, Amazon settled the Federal Trade Commission's Prime case for a $1 billion civil penalty and $1.5 billion in refunds.

Sources

OGE Form 278e (2025 annual), item 3.2; Variety; Business Insider; CNBC, variety.com, businessinsider.com, cnbc.com