The Benefits and Perks for Former Presidents | Let's Teach Interesting Facts

In this video, we’ll take a look at some of the benefits of being president after leaving office. Becoming the President of the United States may be one of the toughest jobs in the world but there’s no denying that the benefits and perks that come with it are second to none. Besides the prestige and the global recognition that comes with the role, the Leader of the Free World also receives several expense accounts, a six-figure salary, the opportunity to live in the lap of luxury at the White House, and even a country home in Frederick County, Maryland.

However, the United States Constitution stipulates that the president is limited to only serving two elected four-year terms; at the end of this, they must vacate the White House, along with the other benefits afforded to them during their years in the Oval Office. This means that they have to say goodbye to everything, from the six-figure salary to the country home – everything has to go.

But this doesn’t mean that former presidents can no longer enjoy the fruits of their labor! With the responsibilities and burdens that they carried, it’s only fair that they’re given a few perks once they’ve officially retired from one of the most important jobs in the world.

The Former Presidents Act was passed in 1958 by Dwight D. Eisenhower to help Harry Truman, who struggled to support himself after his presidency. Despite being offered a number of jobs, Truman famously turned them all down, explaining that, “I could never lend myself to any transaction, however respectable, that would commercialize on the prestige and dignity of the office of the Presidency.”

This was certainly a noble gesture but it more or less left Truman without a source of income. Thanks to the law, though, former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama – along with their families – no longer have to go through what he did.

Here are just some of the many benefits and perks afforded to former presidents.

00:00 Intro
00:13 Overview
01:13 The Former Presidents Act
01:47 Some of the many benefits and perks
01:53 Number 4: Funeral Benefits
03:03 Number 3: Administrative Expenses.
03:32 Number 2: Lifelong Secret Service Protection
04:39 Number 1: Lifetime Annual Pension
05:00 Final thoughts
05:11 Wrapping up