Bush's Big Buck Speeches

Dec. 3, 2009 -- After years of living on a paltry presidential salary, former President George W. Bush and wife Laura are finally getting paid market rates for their rhetoric.

The former first couple have ramped up their speaking schedule, and are appearing at events that typically net celebrity speakers $100,000 or more.

Bush addressed more than 10,000 attendees at a motivational seminar in San Antonio Wednesday, as part of an all-day procession of speakers that included former Secretary of State Colin Powell, salesman guru Zig Ziglar and NFL star Terry Bradshaw. On Tuesday, Laura Bush addressed a smaller crowd of 500, at the annual dinner of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation.

Bush spokesman David Sherzer would not say how much the couple is paid for speeches, but pointed out that the San Antonio event organized by Get Motivated! is just one of 32 events the former president is attending this year. Bush spoke at a seminar organized by the same group in October.

"He really enjoys it," says Sherzer. "He jokes that he's getting paid for what he did for free for eight years as president."

Industry experts say former White House residents don't come cheap.

"It's much more lucrative than being in office," says John LaRosa, research director at Marketdata Enterprises, a research firm that specializes in niche industries. He points out that popular motivational speakers such as Dr. Phil or Deepak Chopra can charge up to $60,000 per event, while superstars such as Tony Robbins command up to $170,000 per appearance. "Presidents are toward the upper end of the scale," LaRosa said.

It's not surprising that the Bushes would want to refill their coffers. As 43rd president of the United States, Bush only earned about $400,000 a year and now receives an annual pension of about $200,000. These incomes pale in comparison to the personal assets worth millions of dollars which yielded annual interest income of more than $250,000 dollars when it was held in trust during his presidency. The Bushes also own a 1,600 acre ranch in Crawford, Texas.

The Bushes aren't the first presidential retirees to hit the talk circuit.

Former President Bill Clinton earned $5.7 million from speeches in 2008, with most of the cash coming from foreign companies, according to financials disclosed publicly by his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Barbara Bush, George W.'s mother and a former first lady herself, has also addressed audiences for pay.