'Low Profile'? Bush Talks Rake in $15M

George W. Bush says he wants to stay under the radar these days—hence his refusal of Barack Obama's invitation to attend a Ground Zero ceremony following Osama bin Laden’s death. But that’s not keeping him from accepting six-figure speaking engagements, and plenty of them, the Daily Beast reports. Bush has given some 140 talks since leaving office, says a rep for Bush, and he reportedly earns between $100,000 and $150,000 for each. All told, he’s raked in some $15 million from the speeches, from which the press is largely banned.

During the week after the Ground Zero event, Bush gave three speeches: one to hedge-fund bosses; one to Swiss bank UBS, at which Bush was joined by Bill Clinton, who’s also raked in tens of millions for post-presidency appearances; and one at a golf event. The talks have taken him to Canada, Asia, and New York; his rep notes that he has a few dozen events lined up for this year. On the docket for next month: a speaking gig at the Edison Electric Institute meeting in Colorado Springs. (More George W. Bush stories.)