Despite $550,000 Payoff, Arnell Fails to Write Book, Must Pay Publisher $100,000

Peter Arnell has been ordered to return $100,000 of a $550,000 advance for a book on “personal branding” that he failed to deliver to HarperCollins. (Read the ruling below.)

Arnell failed to deliver the book despite having the assistance of two ghostwriters, a personal assistant, his wife and an editor at HarperCollins. He only turned in 25,000 words of a promised 80,000 manuscript — and HarperCollins sued to get its money back.