Dr Anthony Fauci is charging sky-high fees for speaking engagements as the controversial figure reaps the rewards of his pandemic-era fame.
The former White House Covid doctor commands between $50,000 and $100,000 for up to an hour’s work, according to a listing on the website for the agency Leading Motivational Speakers that has since been scrubbed.
Despite his huge fee, Fauci is scheduled to give the commencement address to the Yale School of Medicine on May 22 – though it is unclear how much the college is paying him.
The 81-year-old recently retired from his post as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he had been receiving the highest salary of all government employees at more than $480,000 annually, more than what the President makes.
Dr Fauci – whose net worth is estimated at more than $12 million – became a highly divisive figure during his pandemic response. Critics slammed him for exaggerating the effectiveness of vaccines to boost uptake, flip-flopping on face masks and pushing for lockdowns.