The Clintons:
From ‘dead broke’ to multimillionaires
By Kennedy Elliott, Alexander Becker, Philip Rucker, Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten, Published: June 27, 2014
Bill and Hillary Clinton left the White House in January 2001 with massive debts. Their family was “dead broke,” Hillary said recently. Starting two weeks after his last day as president, Bill began giving paid speeches — a career that has generated extraordinary wealth.
A Washington Post review of the Clintons’ federal financial disclosures has found that Bill was paid $104.9 million for delivering 542 speeches around the world between January 2001 and January 2013, when Hillary left her job as secretary of state.
Speeches are the primary source of income for the couple, although they also make money from book royalties and investments. Read related article.
Amount paid to Bill Clinton for speeches, 2001-2013
See full interactive
Payments from the financial industry, 2001-2013, in millions
Payments by financial institutions
Other payments
The financial industry has been Bill Clinton’s most frequent sponsor, paying him $19.6 million for at least 100 appearances.
Payments received from foreign appearances, 2001-2013, in millions
Payments received abroad
Payments received in the U.S.
Most of Bill Clinton's speaking fees — $55.3 million — came from foreign appearances, many of them in China, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Bill Clinton has delivered paid speeches to a broad array of industry groups and nonprofit organizations.
His fees have ranged from $28,100 for a 2001 talk at the London School of Economics, to $750,000 for a 2011 appearance at an event for Swedish communications company Ericsson.
Bill Clinton's average fee per speech, 2001-2012, in thousands
Average fee per speech
Range of highest fee and lowest fee
SOURCE: Federal disclosure reports; Washington Post analysis.