Tim Geithner, the ex-US Treasury secretary, has been elevated to the highest rank of public speakers alongside former world leaders Bill Clinton and Tony Blair after receiving about $400,000 for three recent speaking engagements.
A speech at a Deutsche Bank conference last month netted him about $200,000, according to people familiar with the situation, underscoring the lucrative fees former public officials can receive. Mr Clinton and Mr Blair have both earned millions for speaking at private functions since leaving their relatively low paid jobs in office.
Mr Geithner started offering his take on topics including Federal Reserve policy and the state of the world on the public stage three months after leaving the Obama administration in January.