Ben Carson has accepted $4.1 million in revenue from paid speeches over the past 16 months, according to his recently released personal financial records.
Between Jan. 1, 2014, and May 3, 2015, Carson delivered 141 paid speeches, earning around $4 million. Even after he announced his candidacy for the presidency, Carson continued his paid speaking campaign, and has four more paid speeches left this year, with the last one scheduled for November. Carson has said that he won’t schedule any more paid speaking engagements, but he will finish out the ones he has left.
“Certainly, I was asked by some political people to just cancel those speeches,” Carson told ABC News in a recent interview. “I only have about four left. And I had hundreds of speeches. But you know, when people have gone through a lot of trouble getting sponsors and selling tables and what have you, you don’t just walk out on them.”
“And you know, when it comes to giving back charitable donations, I would match myself against anybody,” he added.
Carson’s total reported income, along with his wife Cindy, totaled from $8.9 million to $27 million during the 16 months preceding his announcement, on May 4.
Carson, who is a neurosurgeon and has no formal political training, kicked off his political career by speaking at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, during which he criticized Obama and the Affordable Care Act. Since then he has brought in between $1.1 million and $6 million in book royalties, as well as an additional $2 million to $10 million while serving as a board member for Kellogg Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp. He was also paid from $100,000 to $1 million by the Fox News Network.
Carson was motivated to release his personal financial records after his fellow competitor from the private sector, Carly Fiorina ,released her tax documents and finances this week. Rather than release his full financial disclosure, Carson and his wife Cindy, opted just to release his personal budget, which showed his sizable personal earnings.
Fiorina, who has repeatedly condemned Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for her lack of transparency, released every fund, stock or bond she has part in, in addition to her personal finances and tax returns. The former Hewlett-Packard CEO and her husband reported nearly $2 million in earnings in 2013, and a net worth of $59 million.
