If I can throw one more ... um... iron in the fire?
He paid little more than X.
He paid a little more than X.
The first emphasizes the smallenss of the number, but the second is simply factual.
He paid little more than $10,000,000 for the house. (I can't imagine saying that - there's nothing little about $10 million)
He paid a little more than $10,000,000 for the house. (I can imagine saying that [although not about anyone *I* know] to mean he paid $10.2 million.)