ArabianBusiness.com - Middle East Business News
Tuesday, 24 November 2009 08:26 UAE time

YOUR DIRECTORY /

| Share |

Talk ain’t cheap

by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  on Sunday, 12 April 2009

Minutes cost millions when you're bidding for an after-dinner speaker - especially if his name is Donald Trump. Arabian Business counts the cash on the cummerbund circuit.

It's rare to speak of Donald Trump and Osama Bin Laden in the same breath, but they do have one thing in common: ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the profitable world of after-dinner speaking.

Best known as the billionaire famed for his real estate empire, Trump also moonlights as one of the world's most sought-after speakers, with an appearance fee to match. Bin Laden, before his Al Qaeda commitments took hold, doubled up as a wedding speaker.

Story continues below
advertisement

Even the tanking economy has had little impact on the earning potential of top strata speakers. Last week Tony Blair earned $587,000 for two speeches in the Philippines.

Whether a tycoon or terrorist, clearly the lucrative lure of the speaker circuit is hard to resist. In return for hefty fees, VIPs are expected to amuse, entertain and educate - all within a half hour slot. For luminaries such as ex-presidents and A-list celebrities, speeches are a quick path to cash, and those at the top of the tree can name their price.

Leading the pack is the toupee-clad Trump who, according to his PA, commands a cool $1m for overseas gigs. For an average 90-minute speech, that's around $11,000 a minute - possibly more if the self-confessed germophobe is required to shake hands.

He scored $6m for a three-day tour in Australia last year, ostensibly for teaching delegates to ‘Think like a Billionaire'. On his home turf, Trump's prices start at $200,000, according to the All American Speakers Bureau; a snip at just $2,200 a minute.

Former US president Bill Clinton is another big hitter on the oratory A-list. Out of reach for all but the grandest of bashes, he earns up to $450,000 per gig for his gilded rhetoric. In the five years after his exit from the oval office, he pocketed $50m in speaking fees - last year he made nearly $6m. Little wonder then, that ex-president George Bush's first move after the White House was to jump onto the post-prandial gravy train.

"I'll give some speeches, to replenish the ol' coffers," he said back in September 2007. "I don't know what my dad gets - it's more than $50-75,000 [a speech], and Clinton's making a lot of money."

Bush, a man known for his ability to mangle words, has since been snapped up by the exclusive Washington Speakers Bureau (other WSB glitterati include ex-PM Tony Blair and U2 frontman Bono) where he is touted to the business world for a six-figure sum.

If celebrities are more your market, expect a little more bang for your buck. JLA, one of the UK's biggest speaker agencies, splits its clients into fee grades. The priciest, the AAs who cost upwards of $36,000, are a small group that includes include Lance Armstrong, Sir Alan Sugar and mind-magician Paul McKenna. Still too pricey? Try famed spin doctor Alistair Campbell, who has a price tag of just $15,000.

On the other side of the pond, spending upwards of $50,000 at All American Speakers Bureau buys you an audience with Whoopi Goldberg, while household names Bill Cosby and Jay Leno start at $100,000. F1 ace Michael Schumacher is also open to bids, but is a little shyer about his starting price.

So what's in it for the paying client? "Not to put it crudely, but bums on seats," says JLA boss Jeremy Lee. "A big name on the ticket is still what is going to make people turn up."

Of course, fees are only a portion of the perks laid on for star speakers. Rudy Giuliani made millions giving speeches after his term as Mayor of New York ended, but his clients forked out for more than his megabucks fee.


| Share |


READERS' COMMENTS

Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.

Click here to post a comment


Add your Comment
All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *
(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments


Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.


MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM

From  Current Issue

SHARE PRICE CHECK

 EMAIL ALERTS

  1. Trump Organisation

  2. Politics & Economics


Tell us your story

READER COMMENTS

  1. Dubai developers see negative press reports decline 09
    24 Nov ' 09 at 07:48
    How much can one read/write abt one particular event. That’s the only reason the negative writing has gone down no one is interested...   More  »
  2. Why I h8 junk txts 08
    24 Nov ' 09 at 08:16
    This is a simple solution to avoid being woken up at night. Most mobile phones offer this option. Sorry, I don't have any solution to...   More  »
  3. Fewer drivers killed on Dubai roads last year 04
    23 Nov ' 09 at 15:21
    Hi Mick, can I make a suggestion. If you travel with someone, then let him video this driver with your mobile. You can pass that onto...   More  »

Read all user comments >

Gitex 2009

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM