J.D. Vance scores $8M advance for Hillbilly Elegy sequel after named Trump's running mate

Donald Trump may be at the top of the Republican Party ticket, but it's his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) who is scoring big in the entertainment world.

Variety announced on Tuesday that Vance got an $8 million advance for a sequel to his book "Hillbilly Elegy." The story is part autobiography part social commentary on life growing up in Apalachia. One review in the Guardian criticized it for being largely based on cultural stereotypes of poor white voters.

Read Also: Inside J.D. Vance's 'Elegy' grift

"Meanwhile, Vance and [his talent agency] WME are pulling down plenty of money from 'Hillbilly Elegy,'" Variety said. "According to the VP hopeful’s financial disclosures, he earned $823,132 in royalties from the book in 2020 and 2021 alone (WME takes a 15% cut, the standard rate for literary sales)."

The amount dropped significantly in 2023 to less than $50,000, but has rocketed again after it returned to the No. 1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list after Trump announced him as the vice presidential running mate.

"HarperCollins recently said the book, which spawned the 2020 Ron Howard film for Netflix, sold 650,000 copies in the first few days after Vance joined the Republican ticket," the report also said.

Vance got part of the $45 million Netflix deal from 2019 as well. Vance's position in the GOP has sent the film back to the top 10 on the streaming site.

See the full report here.