Inventing Anna is the top trending show on Netflix right now, and it’s easy to see why. The hugely popular series follows the true story of Anna Delvey, a woman posing as a German heiress who scammed tens of thousands from the New York City elite. While the real-life Anna is currently residing in an ICE detention centre, was she paid for the show and if so, how much? Find out here…
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According to Insider, Anna 'Delvey' Sorokin was indeed paid by Netflix for the rights to her life story, and was paid $320,000 (around £230,000). However, the money has largely been used to settle her huge debts with banks, attorney fees and state fines. These funds were originally frozen due to the 'Son of Sam' law, which was created to prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes. However, this was waived in order for Anna to use the money to pay the victims of her crimes.
WATCH: Have you watched the Netflix series yet?
Speaking about the situation, Anna told The New York Times: "I paid $198,000-something for restitution, which I have paid off in its entirety and right away, and the rest of it to my legal fees… To reference that BBC interview where I was asked ‘Does crime pay?’, I could not honestly say ‘no’ in my situation, because I did get paid.
Anna sold the rights to her story to Netflix
"For me to say ‘no’ would just be denying the obvious. I didn’t say that crime pays in general." In the BBC interview back in 2021, she explained: "There is definitely a lot more to my story that I’d like to share. With that in mind, I’m working on multiple projects. I’m working on a documentary project with Bunim Murray Productions in Los Angeles.
The series landed on Netflix in February
"I’m also working on a book about my time in jail and working on a podcast as well. I’m not trying to encourage people to commit crimes. I’m just trying to shed light on how I made the best out of my situation, without trying to glorify it. This is what I’m creating out of that story."
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One of Anna’s former friends, Rachel DeLoache Williams, has written extensively about her friendship with the fake heiress, where she was scammed out of $63,000 following a trip to Morocco, including her book, My Friend Anna.
SHOP MY FRIEND ANNA HERE
She wrote about Anna’s payment for Time, explaining: "If your crimes are splashy enough, a media company could snatch up the rights to your story pre-trial so that you’re able to afford the attorney of your choice, one skilled enough to minimise your penalty.
Anna scammed people out of tens of thousands of dollars
"You could be paid so much money that even after your funds are frozen and victims are repaid, you have cash left over. And, not only that, but if fame is what you’re after, you’ll have built yourself a 'brand,' created a platform, and found an audience to leverage for future opportunities."
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