For rent: former U.S president who’ll do weddings, parties, golf games anything to pay back his $4 million legal debt.
Not having much luck getting work in the United States, former President Bill Clinton has gone overseas for scores of obscure appearances since leaving office.
He’s golfed with millionaires in Ireland for six-figure fees. He’s pumped out the presidential shtick at a literary festival in Wales for $150,000.
He reportedly earned a staggering $380,000 speaking at an investors forum in Shanghai, and an Australian state government is said to be paying him a shocking $264,000 to speak at a tech forum Down Under.
His reps have even tried to hit up a small-time distiller for $75,000 for a presidential endorsement of his whiskey.
“Clinton doesn’t turn down anything when money’s involved,” one celebrity booker told The Post. “He’s unlike any other former president. He’s the only one who might show up at your bar mitzvah if you paid him.”
There are even whispers that Clinton crashed a wedding this weekend as a pay-for-play affair. The former first celebrity nearly upstaged the bride when he and a dozen bodyguards crashed the Yorkshire nuptials.
What’s next the Kiwanis Club of Kuwait?
Insiders say there’s been little enthusiasm for Clinton lately at legitimate speaking engagements. CSFB recently paid Clinton $100,000 for a 50-minute speech, but the bank tried hard to distance itself from the embattled ex-president.
Although it co-sponsored the event, the bank took its name off the program.
Another investment bank, Morgan Stanley, was crucified and forced to apologize after paying $100,000 to Clinton to speak at a Florida conference earlier this month.
“He’s showing up at weddings, bar mitzvahs and whatever else all over the world because he’s a schmoozer. He’s a people guy. It’s his kind of stuff,” said Frank Candy, president of the American Speakers Bureau in Washington, D.C., which books lecturers for all types for academic, technology and motivational speeches.
“I remember there was a huge demand for George Bush and the presidents before him, but we haven’t had a lot of interest in Clinton, to tell you the truth.”
But Clinton recently has had a lot of interest in everyone else, including Welsh distiller Ben Jones, who told The Post he was informed by a Clinton crony that he, too, could get a presidential endorsement for his Danzy Jones “mellow” Welsh whiskey.
Initially, the tiny distillery’s owner couldn’t believe his luck when he was called in early May by one of Clinton’s tour organizers.
“His man told me the president was driving up on the Saturday of the festival and it would be a good idea if he dropped around for a visit,” Jones said from his rural Wales home. “He wanted to see production of a local whiskey.”
Initially, Jones was skeptical, but the representative had intimate knowledge of the former commander-in-chief’s itinerary. Jones’ main concern was security and publicity.
“His man then said to me, ‘Bill’s not president anymore and he has to earn a living.’ He then mentioned they were talking to an Irish distillery and a figure of 50,000 pounds [$75,000] was mentioned. I told him I couldn’t afford that unless my wife had money stuffed in the mattress.”
Jones who provided free whiskey at the literary confab said his company was supplying the after-dinner drinks at the fest.
“I saw him drink a glass of my whiskey so I told his security men I’d like to give the president a bottle,” Jones recalled.
“When I presented it to him, he said, ‘That’s awfully, awfully, awfully kind of you.'”
But Clinton’s bookers the famous Harry Walker Agency insist he prefers traditional lectures.
The agency’s Don Walker said Clinton has been booked “all over the place” for engagements involving much bigger players.