Obama's Total Pay Package & Benefits

What is Obama's pay package? Of course the cynical would lump in all the benefits, allowances, additional manpower linked to his position. The gross sums include:

Cash Compensation:
Salary: $400,000

Cash Subtotal: $400,000

Room and Board:
55,000 square foot mansion, in historic Washington, D.C.: @ $100/sqft: $5,500,000/yr
Personal Chef / Kitchen Staff: $300,000 / year
Other Servants / Attendants: $500,000 / year

Subtotal: $6,300,000

Discretionary Use Of Private Aircraft:
(One of 2 Boeing 747-200Bs "Air Force One"):
Annual Costs: 700 hours @ $65,000/hr: $45,500,000

Helicopter Fleet:
Annual Costs: 50 hours @ $5200/hr: $260,000

Aircraft Subtotal: $45,760,000

Other Personnel:
Personal Driver On Retainer (Defensive Tactical Driving Trained) @ $300/day $109,500
Personal Body Guards 35 @ $500/day $6,387,500
Use Of Personal Car 60 days @ $2000/day $120,000

Personnel Subtotal: $6,617,000

Annual Benefits Total: $59,077,000

Four Years of Same: $236,308,000

Pension And Related Benefits:
Present value of Pension Benefits ($200,000 per year): $2,251,556

Total Benefits: $238,559,556

Average Annual Pay Package Plus Benefits / Incidentals / Related Expenses: $59,639,889


Well, to be fair, Obama's pay package should be calculated as his pay, which stands at $400,000 a year for 4 years = $1.6m. He also has an annual pension after that of $200,000 per year, you don't want an ex-President living in poverty, do you!? All the other related and incidentals are necessary for him to do his job, hence should not be calculated as his pay package or benefits.

But as we all know ex-Presidents will make their big bucks AFTER he leaves office (with the possible exception of George W Bush, I mean, seriously, who wants to hear him talk, or read his memoirs???) - the speaking engagements and book deals will ensure an annual salary of at least $1.0m a year easy for the first 5 years after office. Currently Bill Clinton charges about $100,000 per speaking engagement (plus you have to foot all his miscellaneous costs, cigars not included).

p/s photos: Pevita Pearce