https://bongino.com/obama-is-earning-more-than-any-former-president-and-costing-taxpayers-the-most/Obama also has the fattest pension of any former president at $236k, slightly higher than Clinton ($231k) and the younger Bush (225k).
This year the Obamas will cost the taxpayer $1,176,000, with the following breakdown of costs (note that all figures are in thousands). Secret Service costs are not included in any calculations, because that information is classified (but obviously add to the overall cost).
Last year the Obamas cost the U.S. taxpayer $1,153,000 according to the Congressional Research Service, more than George H.W. Bush ($942k) and Jimmy Carter ($456k). The biggest expense for former presidents is office space. Obama’s 8,198 square foot office in Washington D.C. cost taxpayers $536k last year, the most of any former President. Clinton’s cots $518,000 (with 8,300 square feet), and Carters costs $518k. W. and H.W.’s offices cost $497k and $286k respectively, while Carters costs only $115k.
There’s nothing wrong with earning a fortune – but you have to appreciate the irony when it’s the former President who claimed that “at a certain point you’ve made enough money” is raking in tens of millions.
Following in the footsteps of the Clintons, the Obamas have struck gold in monetizing the presidency. From 2005-2016 the Obamas earned a total of $20.5 million, most of which ($15.6 million) were from books Barack authored before taking office, and the rest from his presidential salary and investment income.
Quickly after leaving office Obama joined the speaking circuit, which had earned the Clintons before him $153 million. The year Obama left office he became one of the ten highest paid public speakers in America, bringing in a cool $1.2 million from three Wall Street Speeches. Michelle began commanding fees of $225k per speech.
