Brangelina Twins Rake in Millions Before First Birthday

People and Hello Magazines pay $14 million for baby pics

They're only three weeks old, but Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt have already earned more than most Americans will make in a lifetime just by doing what babies and celebrities do best: staring blankly at a camera. People magazine and the British tabloid Hello! split a reported $14 million bill for the rights to publish exclusive photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's twins. People paid for the U.S. rights and posted its photo gallery online Sunday evening. Hello bought the international rights to the same pictures. The money — more than double the $6 million People paid for Jennifer Lopez' twins on a March cover, according to Forbes — will go to a foundation created by Pitt and Jolie that largely focuses on helping children around the world. It's the second time the celebrity weekly won the North American rights to the couple's first-look baby pictures, and the third time they've worked with the two magazines in exchange for a hefty donation to charity. "We're thrilled to be able to feature these pictures in People," managing editor Larry Hackett said in a statement. Even before the babies were born July 12 in Nice, France, the speculation began over which celeb mag would come out on top of an inevitable bidding war. The couple ultimately chose to go a familiar route with its joint deal between People and Hello!, with Getty Images as the photographer and go-between. People ponied up a reported $4 million donation for the U.S. rights to the first shots of their daughter Shiloh, now 2 years old, while Hello! obtained the British rights. And last year, the couple sold intimate shots of their son Pax, then 3 years old, to Hello! and People. Getty Images, which was involved in the Shiloh deal, also took part this time around. In a statement, Getty co-founder and CEO Jonathan Klein said his company was "delighted that all proceeds from these stunning images will once again be donated entirely to charity." When People the published six photos of Pitt, Jolie and baby Shiloh in June 2006, the issue moved 2.2 million copies, its biggest seller at the time going back to its 4 million-selling 9/11 special, Media Week reported at the time. Jolie, 33, and Pitt, 44, established their foundation that year. They donated $1 million in June to The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict to help children affected by the war in Iraq. Last year, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation gave more than $300,000 to support the International Rescue Committee's relief program for Darfur refugees.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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