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Joe thought he could cash in big time. And so did Hunter. A family of dopes. What can he possibly say that would be interesting, and how can he get through a speech of any duration?

Biden, 82 years old, is charting a post-presidency that is less lucrative than what he’d expected when he left office. Options for big jobs are limited by his advanced age, his unpopularity in Democratic circles and companies—concerned about retribution from President Trump—that aren’t offering speaking gigs. His own allies have grown critical of his presidency, most recently former Vice President Kamala Harris, who in a new book says the Democratic Party was reckless to allow Biden to run a second time.

The result for Biden is a leaner next chapter that lacks the well-funded foundations, plans for exquisite libraries and full calendar of paid speeches his peers enjoyed.

Instead of private jets, Biden has been spotted with a book on his lap in the first-class cabin of American Airlines flights or (talking) aboard Amtrak’s quiet car. Paid speaking appearances can range from $300,000 to $500,000 , people briefed on the matter said. Takers are limited, and at least one organization tried to negotiate below that range, some of the people said....

A roughly $10 million book deal will give the former president a major financial boost. Biden also receives pensions from his federal government service totaling as much as $416,000 a year, which includes about $250,000 annually as a former president and up to $166,000 from his years in Congress and vice president, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks government spending....

If the family sticks to a modest-for-the-powerful lifestyle, “it’ll be fine,” the person familiar with their finances said. Others in the Biden orbit note that the family has a taste for a more lavish lifestyle, particularly if others are paying.


In March, Hunter Biden told a judge that he has “suffered a significant downturn in his income” since late 2023 and “has significant debt in the millions of dollars range,” explaining why he wanted to dismiss a lawsuit he’d brought against a conservative nonprofit that published a trove of the emails found on his laptop. Art sales and his book sales had dropped off significantly, he said in the court papers.

Also, like his father, paid speaking gigs were rare. [Hunter:]“I was expecting to obtain paid speaking engagements and paid appearances, but that has not happened,” he told a judge....

Meanwhile, the president is also raising money—slowly—for a presidential center. The current plan is to create it at the University of Delaware, which now hosts papers from his years in the Senate, according to people familiar with the plans. A spokesman for the University of Delaware said the school “would be honored to be considered among the finalists as the home of the Biden Presidential Library and Museum.”

Lingering frustration with how Biden left the campaign and his lack of transparency about his age-related limitations have made raising money a heavier lift, said people familiar with the effort. Biden’s team believes major Democratic donors ultimately will contribute....