Kamala Harris’ campaign paid $2.5 million for Oprah Winfrey’s A-list town hall, exceeding estimates

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign spent nearly $2.5 million on a town hall hosted by Oprah Winfrey’s production company, significantly exceeding the previously reported estimate.  

Initial reports suggested that Harpo Productions had been paid around $1 million for Winfrey’s September town hall with Harris, but a new report reveals the actual cost was closer to $2.5 million.  

Two individuals familiar with the details told the *New York Times* that the $2.5 million payment is still a small portion of Harris’ estimated $1.5 billion campaign budget.  

The iconic TV personality denied receiving any personal payment from the Harris campaign, while a former campaign adviser confirmed that no payments were made to individuals for their appearances or endorsements.  

Winfrey clarified that the funds were used to pay her production team and to meet the campaign’s requirements for the event.

She stated: “I was not paid a dime. For the live-streaming event in September, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and the chairs we sat on) to put on a live production. I did not take any personal fee,” Winfrey wrote on Instagram.  

“However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.”  

The Harris campaign set records for collecting the most donations in the shortest time. However, it also became one of the most expensive campaigns, spending $1.5 billion in just 15 weeks.  

This massive budget also left the Democratic Party with a $20 million debt.  

The funds primarily went toward aggressive advertising efforts, compressing a year’s worth of rallying into three months after Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee. The campaign also invested heavily in grassroots efforts, expansive social media ads, and celebrity endorsements, including Winfrey.  

The high-profile supporters included globally recognized artists like Beyonce and Lady Gaga.