Herman Cain has earned $250,000 in speaking fees this year

Chris Moody
·Political Reporter

Herman Cain knows how to turn a profit.

The Atlanta-based businessman who spent several years as a motivational speaker before joining the presidential campaign trail still charges a $25,000 speaking fee for some of his public appearances, Joshua Green of Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

Cain is making money, alright. Bloomberg News reported on Oct. 17 that his campaign paid more than $65,000 to his personal publishing company to buy copies of his books and pamphlets. In an interview before his address to the Arizona GOP, he told me that he continues to give motivational speeches to corporations at $25,000 a pop even as he campaigns for President. "I'm still doing paid speeches," he confirmed. "But I have not raised my prices. This economy's on life support, so I'm very mindful of those companies that would like to have me come and speak. But I'm not gonna take advantage of my newfound popularity just to put more dollars in my pocket." Even so, Cain estimates that he has earned $250,000 this year through his speeches.

Instead of making the traditional rounds on the campaign trail in early-voting states like New Hampshire and Iowa, Cain has spent the past two weeks on a tour promoting his new book, This Is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House.

"He has a bare-bones staff, a thin calendar, and hasn't registered his name on the ballot in numerous primary states, although he has registered appearances on the Today show and dozens of others to pitch his book," Green writes.

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