A selection of advances publishers have paid to politicians, entertainers and journalists over the past 15 years.

• President Obama: $15 million (forecast)
• President Clinton: $15 million (2001)
• Hillary Clinton: $14 million (2014, for her years as secretary of state) and $8 million for her first lady memoirs (2000)
• Talk show host Oprah Winfrey: $12 million (2006)
• Comedian Amy Schumer: $9 million (2015)
• Comedians Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak: $7.5 million (2015)
• President George W. Bush: $7 million (2009)
• HBO “Girls” star Lena Dunham: $3.5 million (2012)
• Comedian Aziz Ansari: $3.5 million (2013)
• Fox News host Megan Kelly: $3 million to $10 million (2016)
• Vice president Dick Cheney: $2 million (2009)
• Senator Ted Cruz: $1.5 million (2014)
• Senator Mitch McConnell: $325,000 (2015)