Palin's $12 million haul: By the numbers
Sarah Palin has earned a formidable amount of cash since last July. How exactly?

Since she abruptly retired as Alaska's governor in July, 2009, Sarah Palin has earned $12 million from a book deal, speaking engagements, and media contracts, reported ABC News. Reaction was predictably partisan: "Who needs actual responsibility when [Palin] can haul in the dough by tossing red meat to the rubes?" says the Little Green Footballs blog. Other commentators were more supportive: "There is nothing wrong with succeeding," says Ed Morrissey in Hot Air. "The only reaction anyone should have is 'congratulations.'" Here's a glimpse into how Palin's $12 million achievement breaks down — and how it compares to other high-profile politicians' earnings:
9
Number of months since Palin retired
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
18
Number of months since John McCain named her as his presidential running mate, thrusting her onto the national scene
$125,000
Palin's annual salary as governor of Alaska
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
$100,000
Average amount Palin earns for speaking at a single event, as arranged by the Washington Speakers Bureau
$200,000
Approximate amount Palin received to speak at a fundraising event for the Juravinski Cancer Center and St. Peter's Hospital, located near Toronto, Canada
2
Number of "bendable straws" that must be waiting on a wooden lectern, along with two "unopened" bottles of water, before Palin speaks
2
Number of first class round-trip tickets Palin requires to travel to a speaking engagement, as per a recent contract
$250,000
Amount the Discovery Channel will reportedly pay Palin for each episode of her new reality show "Sarah Palin's Alaska," set to air on The Learning Channel
8
Total number of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" episodes scheduled to run
$7 million
Amount Palin reportedly received from HarperCollins to write her autobiography Going Rogue
$40 million
Approximate amount former President Bill Clinton earned in the six years after he left office, according to tax records revealed during Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid
$2 million
Amount a Japanese manufacturing company paid former President Ronald Reagan for two 20-minute speeches
Note: Palin's earnings from her on-air work with Fox News have not been disclosed
Sources: ABC News (2), Hot Air, Huffington Post, Little Green Footballs, Washington Post, Politico
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy