A book deal can be a form of money laundering. There may be no intent to recoup the investment. Sometimes an “outside investor” approaches a book company and suggests that a certain book might be popular, and puts up a few million, so the book company then really does not care to recoup.
Rupert Mudoch owns the publisher and yes its money laundering.
I can believe that. After seeing what an unethical scurrilous little scump Kelly is, that would not surprise me.