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Former US President Barack Obama might have made more than $1million between August and September, condiderimg the number of Wall Street speeches he gave within that period.
AFP reports that a source disclosed Obama would be paid $400,000 to speak at a health care conference being orgnised by New York trading firm, Cantor Fitzgerald on Monday next week.
Obama will discuss his signature 2010 health care reform legislation, known as Obamacare, which Republican lawmakers are still working to repeal.
The report added that in August, Obama addressed a New York gathering held by the Chicago private banking and wealth management firm Northern Trust.
Panelists at that event, according to the firm’s website, included billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, chief Microsoft cybersecurity advisor Jonathan Trull and IBM general manager for “blockchain” technology Marie Wieck.
He was paid $400,000 for that appearance, according to Bloomberg News which also reported Monday that the former president had made a similar appearance this month at the private equity behemoth Carlyle Group.
The amount he was paid for the Carlyle Group event was not disclosed but if $400,000 has become the ex-President’s “last price” for such engagement, than he sure woukd have made $1.2million since August to share his knowledge and experience as a dormer White House occupant.
Of course, Obama, since leaving office, has made paid appearances in Italy, Germany, Scotland, Canada, Indonesia and South Korea.
According to AFP, he is also due to make an appearance later this month in Toronto and to appear at a New York synagogue in January.
“Since leaving office, President Obama has spent his time doing public and private events, both paid and unpaid, that are true to his values and his record,” Kevin Lewis, an Obama spokesman, told the news agency.
“Consistent with that, his paid speeches in part have allowed president Obama to contribute $2 million to Chicago programs offering job training and employment opportunities to low-income youth.”