Yes, good catch... anyway to edit?
A SHORT NOTE CONCERNING the financial benefits to Michael Schiavo that will accrue from the death of his wife.
I've seen numerous comments that the money given to Terri following various settlements has been dissipated in paying for hospice care and legal bills over the years. I have no way of knowing how true that is, but I suspect that it is, in the main, the case. I also note that the defenders of the man who now has to rank as the worst husband in America since Bill Clinton never tire of pointing out that "he turned down a million dollars " to transfer Terri's guardianship to the family. Again, I have no way of knowing how true that is, but if he did it was a shrewd move and, as we observe Michael Schiavo in his television appearances, we can see he is a shrewd man.
What I do have some sense of is how much money Michael Schiavo stands to make if, and only if, his wife dies. It is, for a man, with a fresh new wife and two children, substantial. Having worked as an editor for Houghton Mifflin and as a literary agent, I have some sense of the price the publishing and media worlds would put on his story. It will be significantly more than 30 pieces of silver.
The book deal: "HER BODY, MY SELF" by Michael Schiavo can be auctioned to a large group of major publishers within ten days of Terri Schiavo's death. This can be arranged by an canny and shameless agent -- and they are legion -- on the basis of 12 telephone calls, a two-page outline, a ghost writer known to the New York publishing world, and a dog-and-pony show where Michael is flown to New York and trotted around to six to eight editors' offices in a day. The bidding for this book will have a floor of two million dollars. The top offer will be in the range of three to three and a half-million for hardcover and paperback rights. Depending on the agent's feel for the market, translation rights may be added to the mix. Film rights will be held back. After the agent's 15% fee, Michael's take from this will be $2,550,000, less $50,000 paid to the ghost writer.
The film and tv rights for Michael's "story" will probably bring in another 1-3 million dollars depending on a number of factors and will, in this instance, be set in motion before the publication of the book.
Speaking fees: Michael Schiavo's lawyer currently commands $15,000 per speaking engagement, so it is not hard to see that Michael could easily pull down $50,000 per engagement. While you probably won't see him show up at Catholic conventions, he's a natural Keynoter for hundreds of other groups across the country and abroad. In the first year alone he could, given a reasonable calendar, be booked for at least 50 events. His gross fees in the first year would, in that case, come to $2,500,000.
Terri Schiavo is worth six to eight million dollars to Michael Schiavo if, and only if, she's dead. If she continues living nothing happens on the book or movie front because there's no ending. When she dies, it is jackpot time for Michael.
I guess he'll be able to buy that nice house his common-law wife has probably been bugging him about for years. It doesn't take a telepath to imagine the pillow talk at Michael Schiavo's house: "We've got two kids and she's still hanging on! You and that lawyer better get cracking. We've got college to think of and need at least five bedrooms! It's a great time to buy. What's the matter with you? Get me my down payment or I'm out of here. And I'm taking the kids... You said you'd get rid of her years ago and we're still in this dump I never liked..."
If you think the current wife's mind-set doesn't play a roll in the killing of Terri Schiavo, think again. Women with children might like having a husband, but they love real estate and tuition funds more. After all, half of a house is forever.