Former President Barack Obama and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, have hired the same celebrity speaking agency that represents former President Bill Clinton and his wife, failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, two of the most highly paid public speakers of the 21st century.
The Harry Walker Agency, which also represents such notable figures as Ed Balls, Wendy Davis, and Ronan Farrow, will handle the Obamas’ post-White House speaking gigs, which are
expected to be highly lucrative for the former first couple.
Bill and Hillary Clinton earned more than $150 million in speaking fees from 2001 to 2015.The Obamas have also to hired a pair of prominent Washington, D.C. “super-lawyers” to represent them in contract negotiations for the memoirs both are expected to write. I
ndustry insiders believe the Obamas will receive book advances worth a combine $30 million or more, which would be significantly higher than what Bill and Hillary Clinton received to write their post-White House memoirs.
In using lawyers rather than talent agents for their memoirs, the Obamas could well avoid paying the stiff agency fees which for books can be 15 percent. Not so for former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. They’ve hired the Creative Artists Agency, a Hollywood firm that represents big name celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Will Smith. CAA is not known for its literary department.
http://heatst.com/politics/obama-clinton-speech/
