Latest news with #bookdeal
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Did Andrew Cuomo Get So Rich?
Cuomo, seen here at a candidates forum in April, has led most polls for the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York. The primary is on Tuesday, June 24. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II In 2017, Andrew Cuomo signed into law a program that would provide tuition-free college at New York's public universities for families making under $125,000 per year. In a speech hailing the legislation, he tied its support for middle-class families to his own life story. 'When you grow up in Queens,' he told the crowd, 'you grow up middle class. You grow up part of a working family. We're not rich in Queens, but that's okay.' At the time, the former cabinet secretary, New York attorney general and son of a former New York governor had already departed the middle class. Most of his money, per his financial disclosures filed at the time, sat in a blind trust with between $1.75 million and $2 million in it—a healthy sum, though not shocking for a 59-year-old lawyer at the head of the fourth-largest state in the country. Today, Forbes estimates Cuomo is worth about $10 million, a roughly five-fold gain in less than a decade. Not bad for a politician who resigned in scandal just under four years ago. During the height of his pandemic popularity, he signed a $5.2 million book deal, much of which he got upfront—an incredible sum for a governor. Out of office, he returned to a private (and lucrative) legal practice in 2022. Then, two years later, Cuomo—who shut down one of New York's nuclear power plants as governor—joined the advisory board of a nuclear company, earning him stock options worth over $4 million as of Friday's market close. Unlike most politicians Forbes tracks, the likely frontrunner to be New York City's next mayor owns no real estate, meaning he's missed out on the strong property market of the last decade. Instead, he forks over $8,000 monthly to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Midtown Manhattan. C uomo was born in Queens to Mario, a lawyer, and Matilda, a teacher, in 1957. Around the time he graduated high school, his father entered politics, becoming New York's secretary of state in 1975, then lieutenant governor in 1978. After graduating from Fordham University in 1979, the younger Cuomo went to Albany Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 1982—the same year his father became governor. Andrew Cuomo spent a year as a gubernatorial aide, taking a $1 annual salary. Then he pivoted to his own legal career. After a year as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, he went into private practice in 1985 and founded a nonprofit called Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged to support homeless people on the side. By 1988, he'd left to run HELP, which today says it has assisted over 500,000 people since its founding. In 1990, Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert Kennedy and sister of now-health secretary RFK Jr. 'The union of the nation's two most renowned liberal Democratic clans—dubbed 'Cuomolot' by the tabloids—has been taken as a signal,' Maureen Dowd reported from the wedding for The New York Times , 'that the ambitious 32-year-old Andrew, his father's closest adviser and the president of HELP, a New York program to build housing for the homeless, is planning a very political future.' The marriage of Kerry Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo brought together two of America's best known political families. Bettmann Archive The prediction proved prescient. In 1991, Cuomo headed up the city's Commission on the Homeless. That experience catapulted him into the federal government, where he was appointed as an assistant secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development after Democrats took back the White House in 1992. President Clinton elevated him to HUD secretary in 1997 after winning a second term, giving Cuomo a $150,000 salary and control of a $26 billion budget by the end of his term. After Republicans regained control in Washington in 2001, Cuomo returned to New York and ran for governor for the first time. He dropped out before the Democratic primary. Adding to his troubles, Kennedy, who reportedly had long been frustrated with her husband's focus on politics over her family—they had three daughters—asked for a divorce the day after the primary. Cuomo retreated to private practice for several years, making big bucks—reportedly, $289,000 in 2003 and $819,000 in 2005 while he worked at a real estate company. He also wrote his first book, 'Crossroads: The Future of American Politics,' in 2003. It flopped, too, selling just 161 print copies, according to data from Circana Bookscan, an industry data service. He rebounded by running for attorney general in 2006, defeating Jeanine Pirro, a former judge and district attorney (and, later, a Fox News host) who Donald Trump recently appointed as D.C.'s U.S. Attorney. In 2010, Cuomo ran for governor again and won, earning him a raise from $152,000 to $179,000. Cuomo's finances were stable as New York's executive. In 2012, the earliest year for which disclosures are available, his only major asset other than his federal pension was his blind trust with a value between $1.75 million and $2 million. It stayed that way even as he wrote his second book, which earned him several hundred thousand dollars from advances and royalties in 2013, 2014 and 2016. 'All Things Possible' sold about 4,100 print copies, according to Circana Bookscan data. In 2019, as he kicked off his third term, he got a raise to $200,000. Cuomo's wealth jumped far more than that—his blind trust was worth $4.75 million to $5 million at the end of the year—though it's not entirely clear where he got the money. In July 2020, during the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, he signed a $5.2 million book deal, coming out the winner in a bidding war between publishing companies. He published his third book, 'American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic' in October that year. By the end of 2020, his blind trust sat at between $7.5 and $7.75 million. Cuomo didn't keep the book money from his first installment of $3.1 million: Virtually all of it went to sky-high Empire State taxes, a $500,000 donation to United Way of New York and the creation of a trust fund for his daughters, Politico reports, citing tax returns Cuomo released in 2021. He received another $2.1 million split into two installments in 2021 and 2022. A spokesperson didn't respond to a list of questions about the valuation, the blind trust or whether he kept the remaining book money. (By the time he received the later payments, he was no longer governor and didn't have to file financial disclosures.) After two additional years of raises approved by the state legislature—his salary rose to $225,000 in 2020 and $250,000 in 2021—he was the highest paid governor in the country. It was short lived, though: Cuomo resigned in August 2021 amid accusations of sexual misconduct, ethical lapses and mismanagement during the pandemic. During the pandemic, Cuomo attempted to draw a contrast between himself and then-president Donald Trump. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer Out of power, Cuomo opened a legal consulting outfit in April 2022. His clients remain mostly unknown—Bloomberg reported that one was a crypto exchange that pleaded guilty to illegal operations in the United States. He also reportedly joined a team of lawyers defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court. At any rate, whoever hired him paid him handsomely, including over $500,000 in 2024, according to the disclosures he filed as a mayoral candidate. His most lucrative gig was advising a 'pre-revenue' company called NANO Nuclear that is seeking to develop nuclear microreactors, smaller versions of nuclear reactors that advocates hope could make it cheaper and easier to deploy fission power. In March of 2024, Cuomo was granted 125,000 options allowing him to purchase stock for $3.00 per share between now and 2027. After its IPO on the Nasdaq in May, the stock has soared; as of Friday's close at over $37, Cuomo's options are worth more than $4 million. The ethical issues surrounding his resignation from the governor's mansion are still weighing on him. A state ethics commission found in 2021 that Cuomo used state resources to help him write his latest book, 'American Crisis,' and tried to claw back the full $5.2 million book advance as punishment. The commission was replaced by New York's Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, and Cuomo challenged the constitutionality of the body in court, but lost on appeal in February. Assuming the new commission assesses a similar punishment, Cuomo could have to return a chunk of the cash he got for a book that, per Circana Bookscan data, has only sold about 47,000 copies. The publisher reportedly stopped promoting it after separate allegations that Cuomo had mishandled Covid-19 patients in nursing homes during the pandemic, leading to more deaths from the virus. It never printed a paperback edition. Having solidified his finances for now, the former governor's path out of the political wilderness lies in winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday, June 24—though he may run on a different party's line if he loses, setting up a four-way mayoral race alongside the incumbent Eric Adams (net worth: at least $3.5 million, Forbes estimates) and whoever the Democrats and Republicans nominate. Deep-pocketed billionaire donors have lined up to back him, including over $8 million from former mayor Michael Bloomberg and $500,000 from hedge funder Bill Ackman. Cuomo is framing his comeback as a way for New Yorkers to fight against a different billionaire. 'We beat Trump once. We're gonna beat him again,' he told a Bronx crowd at a Juneteenth rally. 'And we're gonna make this city better than it has ever been before—together.'
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
KJP Set to Throw Joe Under the Bus!
KJP is the latest Biden Big Coverup co-conspirator to throw him all the way under the bus for a book deal! I'm Tomi Lahren, more next. There are two groups that make up the Democrat Party and the fakestream media… Those who are still pretending they didn't see the steep decline of Joe Biden and those who are willing to admit they saw the decline, helped cover it up, and will now out it but ONLY for a book deal. Former Biden press secretary KJP is the latest to join the ladder category. She too is coming out with a book AND a new party affiliation! Yep, her book title and her new party is 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.' The book comes out in the fall but it's pretty evident she will be throwing her former boss under the bus. That's pretty rich given she was one of the MAIN PEOPLE in on the Joe cognitive decline big lie and cover up! Folks, let's jot this down for future use. If you want to entice a Democrat to tell you a little bit of truth, throw a book deal their way and they'll sing like a canary. I'm Tomi Lahren and you watch my show 'Tomi Lahren is Fearless' at Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Ex-Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blasted by TWO DOZEN colleagues as 'coddled, ineffectual, unprepared'
Former Joe Biden White House officials are uncorking their astonishment at former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for leaving the Democratic Party and nabbing a book deal after towing the Biden lies for years in her old job. 'Respectfully, get the f*** out of here – it's not what people want to hear,' one former White House official fumed to hours after Jean-Pierre's publisher confirmed the forthcoming book. 'What is the goal here? Is the goal here to sell a book? Because that's what it feels like,' said the former official, calling the book a 'huge distraction.' 'We're in the middle of fighting against what the [ Congressional Budget Office] called 10.9 million people losing their health insurance. Mass deportations. Potential citizens deported to a f***ing concentration camp in El Salvador. This is the messaging you're sending right now?' 'Her becoming independent because they were mean to her boss is the lamest s--- I've ever heard. Read the room,' the source intoned. Other sources were gobsmacked why Jean-Pierre would wait so long to unburden herself if she truly felt the White House was 'broken' as her book promo claims. 'She lost whatever media cachet she had after the White House, and The View isn't taking her call anymore so she has to resort to a selfish stunt to sell books and get any attention,' another former White House official told after the news broke. The source was referencing her embarrassing rejection from ABC's 'The View' program, despite appearing on it as press secretary. Another source told Axios: 'The amount of time that was spent coddling [Jean-Pierre] and appeasing her was astronomical compared to our attention on actual matters of substance.' Another called her 'one of the most ineffectual and unprepared people I've ever worked with.,' while still another cited the 'hubris' of trying to position herself as an outsider after enjoying the 'perks' of proximity to power. She didn't know how to manage a team, didn't know how to shape or deliver a message, and often created more problems than she solved. 'It's difficult to see how this is anything but a bizarre cash grab,' said the official. Jean-Pierre hasn't responded to a request for comment, but she addressed the subject of her book on her Instagram page. 'Since my final day as The White House Press Secretary this past January, rarely a day goes by that I'm not stopped in the supermarket, at my daughter's school, at the bank, in an airport, or in my neighborhood to be asked for my perspective, opinion, or insight about the state of our country and what we must do to preserve our democracy,' she said -- speaking before a rack of books that one source in a bit of promotion that one source compared to 'a hostage video.' 'In an era of rampant disinformation and regressive social policies, I'm choosing what I champion based on my own compass. And I'm willing to fight side by side with anyone who shares my goals and principles, no matter how they identify politically, so long as they treat me and the communities I love with respect,' she said. The criticism from Democrats followed the shock announcement by Jean-Pierre's publisher about her forthcoming book resurfaced complaints about her own capabilities and officials who insulated the former president from criticism that could have helped right the ship. Former Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who launched a brief primary challenge citing his age long before he dropped out, took a shot a Jean-Pierre without naming her direction. 'I haven't written a book or been paid for a speech and will never become a lobbyist. I just share my perspective and advocate for common sense without charging anyone for it,' he wrote. Many of those urging Biden to get out after his debate disaster argued it was the only way to avoid an electoral wipeout. As it turned out, Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in at the 11th Hour and lost to Donald Trump anyway. Most surprising to many is that Jean-Pierre announced she is leaving the Democratic Party, after a long career as an operative, at a time when Democrats are soul-searching to try to find a way to combat Donald Trump. Her new book, titled Independent, has a cover featuring shattered glass, and a PR release describes its substance as 'a look inside a broken White House, outside the party lines.' Her publisher Hachette describes an 'urgent, timely analysis' and urges Americans to 'vote their values and maintain individuality within party lines.' 'A lot of group chats were revived today,' posted former White House official Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former advisor to VP Kamala Harris, on X, adding a smiling / crying emoji. 'Counting 13 on my end,' chimed in former Biden State Department spokesman Vedant Patel. 'Lol,' wrote former White House assistant press secretary Jeremy Edwads, reposting an article about Jean-Pierre penning the book and leaving the party. Former officials contacted by said they didn't know what kind of advance Jean-Pierre was coming in, after failing to land a high-profile TV gig as did her predecessor Jen Psaki, now an MSNBC host. 'Probably best to purge the party of our most delusional and self-serving personalities,' the former official added. The slack-jawed responses came after news broke that Jean-Pierre, who spent years defending Biden from the White House podium on both substance and questions about his age, health, and mental fitness was writing the book. It comes as her former boss has been hit by a round of tough press coverage with the release of Axios reporter Alex Thompson and CNN anchor Jake Tapper's new book, 'Original Sin,' which rakes the Biden White House for covering up signs of his decline. 'In a country obsessed with blind loyalty to a two-party democratic system, Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House press secretary to the Biden-Harris administration, shares why Americans must step beyond party lines to embrace life as Independents,' according to an online release for the book. She worked as a political director for Obama. She also worked for liberal outside group MoveOn. Jean-Pierre didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on her new project. The write-up for her forthcoming book indicates she'll take on people within the party who tried to force Biden to end his reelection campaign after his debate disaster. 'She takes us through the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision,' according to the release.
The Guardian
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Footballer, Bachelor star … fantasy writer? The TikTok furore over Luke Bateman's book deal
Hello Caitlin. I hear people on TikTok are up in arms over a Queensland farmer/Canberra Raiders player/Bachelor star scoring a book deal. Who is this modern day Renaissance man? Julia, a colleague described Luke Bateman's four years with the Raiders as the one of an 'honest toiler, who always played above his weight', and to be frank, it's a fairly apt description for the guy. The Toowoomba countryman grew up as the typical sports-playing boy. On his now famous TikTok account, he has spoken earnestly about reading books in a toilet cubicle as a child so his peers wouldn't witness his sensitive side. But that didn't stop him from appearing on The Bachelor's 11th season in 2023 and confessing his love to contestant Ellie Rolfe in the finale (he retired from the Raiders in 2019 after a knee injury). Contrary tothe show's usual success rate, the pair split up months later. But he quickly found a new love to fill his life: #BookTok. He posted his first video in April, speaking passionately from inside a car about his love of books and struggle to 'share those things' as a male in 'blue collar work'. He now has more than two dozen videos, 178,000 followers, and has landed a book deal. Fans are following him for his book reviews, but they're also there for his rugged good looks. In one video, he joked about multiple comments claiming he looked like Shrek after the ogre became a human. 'To begin with, I was like, ah, that's a hard pill to swallow,' he said, donning a large brimmed hat. 'But then I went and Googled … and I was like, they make a good point.' So tell me, what kind of book is he going to write? A farming manual? A sport biography? A reality TV tell-all? You'd think so, but guess again. Bateman's first book, expected to be released in early 2027, will be an 'epic fantasy' story about a young boy battling hardships in a magical world. His contract is a two-book deal, so there's more to come. If you follow his TikTok, this category may not come as a huge surprise. Bateman has filmed several videos about his love of fantasy fiction, including one that runs through his 'GOD TIER' fantasy reads and several dedications to giants Robin Hobb and Garth Nix. That said, he's also delved into 'smut' books (or 'cliterature', as his followers call it), posting a detailed review of the popular Court of Thorns and Roses series. I didn't see that one coming. Obviously he has many skills, but has he ever published anything before? No. But he has written poetry. In one video, posted to TikTok this week, Bateman shared prose he had written while going through a breakup (we've all been there), titled 'When Magic Had a Name'. Publishing has also been a long-held aspiration for Bateman. When announcing the surprise book-deal on social media, he described it as a 'childhood dream come true'. 'I've wanted to be an author my whole life,' he told his audience, teary with joy. 'I can't wait to write this book.' How have people responded to the news? It's fair to say the feedback has been mixed. Some commenters were quick to congratulate Bateman for his Simon & Schuster deal, but others questioned how he had nabbed the deal. In response to backlash, the publishers said they had assessed the scope of his series including its 'magic system' and the 'journey of the protagonist' as well as receiving a 10,000 word writing sample, including a synopsis. Yet the issue has reignited debate about power and privilege in the literary industry, including the weight given to celebrity platforms over more marginalised authors. The inaugural Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion, published in 2022, found less than 1% of Australian publishing professionals were First Nations, 8.5% had an Asian cultural identity and about 5% identified living with a disability – well below population parity. In Bateman's own words, speaking with the entertainment news website Chattr: 'Obviously, a lot of these conversations are very new to me … I can wholeheartedly understand how angry and resentful these things would make people.'
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Footy and reality TV star Luke Bateman built up a huge TikTok following with Aussie women - then they turned on him over one video
One-time NRL star Luke Bateman is at the centre of a social media storm after posting a video announcing he has signed a book deal, with many of his former fans accusing him of benefiting from 'white male privilege'. Bateman, 30, has become an online sensation after revealing his interest in risqué romance and fantasy novels in a series of videos. The former Canberra Raiders lock - who also appeared on The Bachelor in 2023 - has amassed 175,000 TikTok followers at the time of writing. Earlier this week, Bateman took to social media to announce that he recently signed a two-book deal with Atria Books Australia. 'This is a childhood dream come true for me. I've wanted to be an author my whole life, so it really blows me away,' he said. However, the announcement has sparked fierce backlash and debate about equity in the publishing industry. 'A white man getting a book deal without having written anything? My jaw stayed right where it was,' replied one user, with the comment getting more than 5000 likes. 'This opportunity is the intersection of white privilege, male privilege, and pretty privilege. Not a reflection of worth,' posted another. 'Well good to see that publishing is still a colossal joke,' replied a third. TikTok users even posted their own video reactions to the news to express their outrage. 'A white man joined BookTok on April 22 and less than two months later achieved getting a two-book epic fantasy deal with Atrium books that he credits to his success on BookTok,' said @grapiedeltaco. 'We don't have very many details of what he's already written, but it seems like he didn't even have a manuscript. 'Like it seems like he had a concept, which is something that many established authors who have already been traditionally published can't even manage.' Bateman has addressed the flood of criticism, insisting he understands the anger that's been levelled at him. 'I wholeheartedly understand how angry and resentful these things would make people,' he said. 'I obviously have advantages that other people don't. How do I capitalise on those to help lift everyone up? Because I feel like dragging people down leaves everyone at the bottom, whereas a rising tide lifts all ships. 'And if I can use my platform and my voice and my privilege and position in society to help uplift others, I say, that is what books are about.' Bateman, who has lots of female admirers, is believed to be single following his split from Ellie Rolfe last year. The pair met on The Bachelor and connected - but eventually went their separate ways. 'Ellie and I would like to keep our relationship private,' Bateman said at the time. 'She has a soul that lights up every room she walks into and I will sorely miss it in my life.' On the footy field, Bateman chalked up 71 appearances for the Raiders between 2015 and 2019. A knee injury ended his career - and before his NRL debut, Bateman in 2014 publicly had to confirm he wasn't gay. It followed an on-field slur from current Parramatta Eels halfback Mitchell Moses, who was playing for NSW against the Maroons in an under-20s match. 'I'm not gay,' Bateman said. 'I've had plenty of people from the gay community write to me or contact me on Twitter giving messages of support.
