Lee made millions every year from 'Mockingbird'

When To Kill a Mockingbird was initially released in 1960, it gained a lot of popularity. The book was a bestseller back then, and sales have remained strong over time. The book has now sold over 40 million copies and has been translated into more than 40 different languages.

Lee earned an excellent salary as a result of his fame. The author of Mockingbird continues to get nearly $3 million in royalties annually, according to court documents from a 2012 lawsuit (the case, which argued that Lee's former agent had duped her into giving him the copyright for Mockingbird, was settled in 2013). Lee never again had a financial need to publish while that kind of money was rolling in.