Unaware how popular her novel would become, Austen decided to sell the copyright for “Pride and Prejudice” to Whitehall publisher Thomas Egerton. She asked for £150 but eventually settled for £110. According to estimates, Egerton later made about £450 from just the first two editions of “Pride and Prejudice.” The novel would go on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide and inspire hundreds of literary, film, television, and theater adaptations. If Jane Austen had had copyright her estate would today be worth billions.
