With the launch of Pottermore yesterday, it appears that J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, will be selling her own e-book versions of the beloved series. She hardly need another revenue stream, however — she’s worth an estimated $1 billion and reportedly makes £1 million every three days from the Hogwarts empire. And what do you spend that kind of money on? Real estate — a few vacation homes in Tasmania, and mansions in the UK — and:
According to The Daily Mail, Rowling frequently travels by private jet but does not indulge in luxury cars, preferring to drive something less conspicuous. At times in her post-Potter life, she has employed a bodyguard on a salary of almost $250,000, the highest paid in her moderately sized staff which includes a personal assistant and two secretaries.
Rowling also gives very generously to charities:
The billionaire author is a dedicated philanthropist, having donated tens — perhaps hundreds — of millions to various nonprofit organizations over the years. She is a leading crusader for multiple sclerosis research and treatment, having lost her mother to the disease in 1990. She has also offered significant fundraising support to the UK anti-poverty fundraiser Comic Relief.
In other Potter news, at a press conference, Rowling said she is done writing novels (!) but Potter appendices and background info will be coming out at the site.
I hope she means she’s done writing HP novels but might still write something else. I’d love to see her write a standalone novel or begin a totally new series.
I heard she first wrote Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (or as we Americans know it Harry Potter and the Magic Rock) longhand on legal pads.
As a single mother she couldn’t afford to photocopis to send to agents so she wrote them out again, by hand.
So yeah, I won’t begrudge her a penny of that.
You are citing the Daily Wail as a source? For shame…