Jeff Bezos is framing the Melania documentary as a successful cultural and historical project that resonated with audiences, emphasizing its strong streaming performance to counter box office criticism.
Critics aren't buying it. Insiders note Amazon paid $26 million MORE than Disney's competing offer for a documentary that lost tens of millions—raising serious questions about what Amazon was really purchasing beyond theatrical rights.
Amazon MGM paid $40M to acquire 'Melania' plus $35M in marketing costs (total $75M investment). The documentary grossed approximately $16.6 million worldwide at the box office—less than 25% of total spend. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren explicitly accused Amazon MGM Studios of 'bribery in plain sight.'
Bezos can spin this as wise business all he wants, but when you drop $75 million on a First Lady documentary and gross less than $17 million worldwide, people are going to ask what you're really buying—and the math doesn't lie.
Jeff Bezos is not having a great week. The Amazon founder appeared Wednesday on CNBC's "Squawk Box" to defend one of the most scrutinized entertainment deals in recent memory: Amazon MGM Studios' $40 million acquisition of "Melania," a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, plus an additional $35 million in marketing costs that brought the total price tag to a staggering $75 million. The deal has been mired in controversy since day one, with critics accusing Bezos and Amazon of attempting to curry favor with the Trump administration through lavishly funded media projects—and Bezos was visibly frustrated as he attempted to set the record straight.
"The 'Melania' thing is a falsehood that will not die," Bezos told CNBC anchors during the interview. "I see it reported all the time that somehow I was involved in this, but I had nothing to do with that." The Amazon founder stepped down as CEO of the e-commerce giant back in 2021 and now serves as executive chairman, a detail he emphasized when distancing himself from the documentary's acquisition.
Despite his claimed lack of involvement, Bezos stopped short of criticizing the deal itself—instead calling it "a very wise business decision" that performed well both in theaters and on streaming platforms. "People are very curious about Melania," he added, conceding only that "I can see why people say this" regarding the influence-peddling accusations. The numbers tell a different story than Bezos's sunny assessment.
The documentary grossed approximately $16.6 million at the worldwide theatrical box office—roughly 22% of Amazon MGM's total investment when factoring in acquisition and marketing costs combined. For context, that's an enormous sum for any documentary and would be considered impressive under normal circumstances, but when you're spending $75 million to tell a First Lady's story while facing federal anti-bribery investigations, those benchmarks shift dramatically. Democratic Sen.
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts wasn't buying the "good business" framing either. She accused Amazon MGM Studios explicitly of committing "bribery in plain sight" and led an investigation alongside Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) examining whether the investment constituted a "corrupt pay-to-play arrangement with the Trump administration." The congressional scrutiny intensified when Warren and Johnson pointed out that Amazon's $40 million offer was a jaw-dropping $26 million above the next-highest bidder—Disney.
In a letter dated March 15, the lawmakers wrote to Amazon demanding answers about potential violations of federal anti-bribery law. "The American people deserve assurance that powerful corporations are not using their financial resources to gain political influence or favorable treatment at public expense," Warren and Johnson stated, adding that the deal raised serious questions about whether Amazon was attempting to secure regulatory favors from the Trump administration through entertainment spending.
Amazon's response came via VP of Public Policy Brian Huseman in a March 30 statement obtained by Variety. "We disagree with any suggestion that Amazon's decision to license this film and accompanying series was improper," Huseman said, defending the deal as part of a "thorough and competitive bidding process" focused on the documentary's unique access and cultural significance. When Amazon MGM initially acquired "Melania" in early 2025, a studio spokesperson offered a simpler defense: "We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only—because we think customers are going to love it." Meanwhile, during Wednesday's CNBC interview, Bezos also weighed in on Trump himself, calling the current president "a more mature, more disciplined version of himself than he was in his first term" while praising some of his policy ideas. Whether that relationship extends to documentary financing remains a question Bezos clearly wishes would disappear—but with $75 million spent and less than $17 million returned, this story is far from over.
