Who is Amy Odell? Gwyneth Paltrow's biographer says actress likely received millions for Astronomer deal

Amy Odell, the author of Gwyneth Paltrow's biography, has once again made the headlines, this time not for what she wrote in a book but for what she posted on Instagram on July 26. She made revelations that Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow was reportedly paid "millions" for her brief but well-publicized role as spokesperson for the computer business Astronomer.

Based in New York City, Amy Odell is a well-known American author, editor, journalist, and media consultant. A graduate of New York University, originally from Austin, Texas. She is recognized for her coverage of pop culture and fashion.

Odell has contributed to several publications, including Bloomberg Businessweek, Time, The Economist's 1843, and New York Magazine. Tales From the Back Row: An Outsider’s View from Inside the Fashion Industry, her first book, thrust her to fame, and now her in-depth biography of Gwyneth Paltrow, titled Gwyneth: The Biography, published in 2025, has cemented her legacy.

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Odell's claims on Gwyneth Paltrow's endorsement paychecks

Odell claimed to have "exclusive information" on Gwyneth Paltrow's previous brand deals and the astronomical amounts she reportedly made in a video uploaded on Instagram on Saturday. Primarily, Odell estimated that Paltrow's agreement with Astronomer was valued at "millions."

In the video, she can be heard saying that the Iron Man actress “appeared at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia for a total of $1.6 million.”

Odell added:

“She attended a launch party for Skims in late 2023 to promote their Swarovski collaboration for $250,000. Gwyneth had a bigger deal with Swarovski where she would earn $1.25 million in exchange for wearing Swarovski a certain number of times. She also received millions for endorsing other brands, like Copper Fit.”

According to a source, Gwyneth Paltrow "isn't too bothered" about her book. The source said:

“Gwyneth’s been in the Hollywood game for a long time and so has a thick skin. This book isn’t a big deal for her.”

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Gwyneth Paltrow's role at Astronomer

Gwyneth Paltrow was unveiled on July 25 as the company's temporary spokesperson. Gwyneth commented:

“Hi, I’m Gwyneth Paltrow. I’ve been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300+ employees at Astronomer."

Paltrow did not touch on the company's viral scandal, which involved former CEO Andy Byron and former HR chief Kristen Cabot. She continued:

"Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones.”

Paltrow used comedy to highlight Astronomer's efforts in automating data and AI pipelines:

“Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run a patchy airflow, unifying the experience of running data ML and AI pipelines at scale. We’ve been thrilled so many people have a newfound interest in date workflow automation.”

“How is your social team holding…” appeared on the screen before the camera panned back to her, where she replied:

“Yes! There is still room available at our Beyond Analytics Event in September. We will now be returning to what we do best: Delivering game-changing results for our customers."

Paltrow concluded by saying:

“Thank you for your interest in Astronomer.”

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From scandal to spotlight

The incident that happened at a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, catapulted the company into the spotlight. The company's new CEO, Pete DeJoy, addressed the incident on his LinkedIn:

“The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name.”

He continued to highlight the company's tenacity by bringing up its capacity to survive the pandemic, financial instability, and its quick expansion from 30 to more than 300 workers:

“At Astronomer we have never shied away from challenges; a near-decade of building this business has tested us time and time again, and each time we’ve emerged stronger. From starting a software company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to keeping the lights on through the collapse of the bank that held all our cash, to scaling from 30 to 300 people during a global pandemic that demanded we do it all without ever being in the same room. And yet, we’re still here.”

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