During News Corp.’s fourth quarter fiscal earnings, the company touted soaring sales of JD Vance’s memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” since he was tapped as Donald Trump’s running-mate.
The company, which owns HarperCollins Publishers, said 150,000 copies in various formats were sold within 24 hours of his selection as Trump’s vice presidential candidate.
News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson noted the “interesting sales phenomenon,” of the resurgence in interest in Vance’s memoir Thursday, adding that in July alone, the book sold 877,000 units. Thomson added that the boom in sales is expected to have a positive impact on the first fiscal quarter results of 2025.
Immediately following his selection, Vance’s 2016 book took up both of the Top 2 spots on Amazon’s bestsellers list in paperback and hardcover, respectively. The book already had sold more than 3 million copies before Trump chose him for the ticket.
Additionally, the film adaptation of “Hillbilly Elegy,” directed by Ron Howard, soared on Netflix shortly following Vance’s ascension. According to analytics platform Luminate, the movie saw a 1,180% increase in viewership after Vance was selected.
The memoir tells the story of Vance’s childhood in Ohio and his family’s roots in rural Kentucky or Appalachia. “Hillbilly Elegy” depicts Vance’s childhood as hugely impacted by addiction and poverty, rising above to attend Yale.
The book became a cultural talking point after Trump’s victory in 2016, with some seeking insights from Vance’s upbringing about Trump’s appeal to rural voters.
