Talk is cheap, they say. Is it? Not when a certain Bill Clinton is doing the talking. Since leaving office in 200, the former American president has spent his time delivering lecturers, most of which are paid for. In recent times, Clinton has earned $650,000 from Goldman Sachs, a New York investment company, as payment for four speeches he delivered.

Effectively, the former US president makes more money from speaking than when he was in office. As president, he earned $200,000 per year and a cumulative of $800,000 for a four-year term. But in 2004 alone, Clinton raked in $875,000 for writing and promoting his memoirs.

In 2002 and 2005, the former president made $9.5 million and $7.5million respectively in speaking fees. Clinton 's speaking tour in 2005 took him to 14 countries, where he delivered 43 speeches. He gave an average of four a month and usually charged $I50,000 per event.

On some occasions, he charged steeper fees. For instance, on 18 October 2005, Clinton delivered a speech to about 8,500 business executives at a motivational speaking conference in Toronto, Canada, and charged a less than measly $350,000! The next day yielded a hefty sequel of$300, 000, as payment for a similar activity at a "Power within" Conference in Calgary , Alberta in Canada . Another $775,000 was paid to him for an address to a business group via video­conference.

Last November, Clinton earned $300,000 for a speech delivered at the Abu Dhabi World Leadership Summit, organised by British billionaire, Richard Branson. A month later, he earned the same fee, addressing the German media conglomerate, Hubert Burda.

Also last May, Clinton was invited by US Business Week and two companies in Shenzhen, Southern China , to deliver a speech at "The WTO and China Economic Forum." He got an after-tax payment of $-150,000. Clinton has also delivered speeches in Bahamas, Hong Kong, Denmark, - Giuliani Switzerland, France, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Spain and Russia. In all of these places, he was paid handsomely.

In addition to all the money the former president makes from giving speeches, he also continues to earn royalties from Random House, a publishing outfit, for his 2004 autobiography, My Life.

The former United States president's speeches, though expensive, usually draw huge crowds. Once, at the University of California in Berkeley, USA, where he was billed to speak, the Clinton magic ensured that event was sold out and provoked audience frenzy. Thousands of students who attended described Clinton 's talk as having the allure of a rock concert.

Former American presidents, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, made a lot of money delivering speeches in Asia and Europe after they left office. Donald Trump, American billionaire and property developer, earned billions of naira delivering speeches all over the world.

The former United States president's speeches, though expensive, usually draw huge crowds. Once, at the University of California in Berkeley, USA, where he was billed to speak, the Clinton magic ensured that event was sold out and provoked audience frenzy.

In the US , presidential candidates, who are not federal office holders, are allowed to take money for speeches on the condition that they are not raising campaign funds at the event, distributing campaign materials or delivering an overtly political speech. It was on account of this that Rudy Giuliani, two weeks ago, decided to stop receiving payments for his speeches because he was announcing his interest in the presidential race.

However, some reason that Clinton should not charge fees for his speeches because Hillary, his wife, is an office holder and a presidential aspirant. This is based on the fact that some of the sponsors of Clinton 's speaking engagements also provide financial support for Hillary's presidential bid. It is thought that while what Clinton does may be legal, it is unethical.

An article in the Washington Post said: "Many of Bill Clinton's six-figure speeches have been made to companies whose employees and political action committees have been among Hillary Clinton's top backers in her Senate campaigns."

There are those who think that Clinton 's foray into speech selling is simply to make money to payoff the legal debts arising from a lawsuit during the Monica Lewinsky case. Still others think that Clinton is on a campaign of public self­ rehabilitation. He is claimed to be concerned that future historians may misjudge his administration on the stand it took concerning the terrorist attacks. The ex-president is now thought to be going round re-emphasising his achievements when he was president.

Born William Jefferson Blythe III on 19 August, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas, Clinton got his bachelor's degree in International Affairs from Georgetown University in 1968. He later attended Oxford University. He earned a law degree from Yale University in 1973 where he met his wife, Hillary Rodham, whom he married in 1975. They have a daughter, Chelsea, who was born in 1980.

In 1978, Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas at the age of 32. He lost his bid for re-election in 1980 to Frank D. White. He later won back the governorship of Arkansas in 1982, and again in 1984 and 1986. In 1992, Clinton and his running mate, Senator Al Gore were elected President and Vice President with 43 per cent of the people's vote.