Did Oprah Winfrey Make Any Money From Her Kamala Harris Endorsement? What She Said

Oprah Winfrey played her part in trying to get Kamala Harris elected for President. The media mogul has always been a staunch and vocal supporter of Harris, and has used her global platform to interview her on a number of issues affecting the country. Their Unite for America Rally was an hour-and-a-half-long conversation where millions of viewers hoped to learn more about Harris and her hypothetical policies. But the legitimacy of Winfrey's support was called into question when it was revealed that Harris paid the former talk show host seven figures.

The information came from a November 8 report sharing how much Harris' team spent on her campaigns. In the fine print, it was revealed that Harris forked over $1 million to Winfrey's production company, Harpo, which helped develop the Unite for America Rally livestream. The growing consensus was that Winfrey received this money personally in order to improve Harris' election chances. But the billionaire quickly put those rumors to rest by clarifying what the money was really for.

Responding in a paparazzi video posted to Instagram, Winfrey explained the payment. "For the live-streaming event in September, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, microphones, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and chairs we sat on) to put on a live production," she said. "I did not take any personal fee. However the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story."

Oprah Winfrey had high hopes for the country after Joe Biden was elected. To her, president-elect Donald Trump was steering America down what she believed to be a bleak path. Biden's election not only restored her confidence in the country, but him choosing Kamala Harris as his history-making VP personally resonated with Winfrey. "I think what she means for women of the world is so extraordinary. For women here in the United States, we can't even measure it," Winfrey told People. "Because to see someone who looks like you in this role, you see what's possible for yourself. Period."

Given her comments, it should come as no surprise that Winfrey endorsed Harris for president in 2024. Although she once preferred to avoid politics altogether, she's been using her influence to raise support for candidates since former president Barack Obama's campaign. She also supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. In 2024, however, Winfrey felt particularly motivated to share her endorsement. "The bottom line for me is that decency and respect are on the ballot," she told CBS News. "And that's why I was willing to do it. And let me just tell you the big risk was when I don't have anything to lose. Now, I don't have a show ... It's not what, what is it gonna cost me other than knowing that I had to do whatever I could to speak."