Chelsea Clinton's speaking fee: $65,000

When Hillary Clinton’s speaking fees proved too steep for one public university last year, school officials reached for a less expensive alternative: her daughter, Chelsea.

According to a report from The Washington Post, representatives from the former secretary of state’s office gave officials at the University of Missouri-Kansas City a $275,000 quote for a one-time speaking fee.


“Yikes!” one official emailed another, according to the report. Rather than paying that much, UMKC opted to pay Chelsea $65,000 for a brief appearance in February 2014. The former first daughter spoke for 10 minutes before participating in a 20-minute Q&A session and posing for pictures.

According to the report, the school also considered booking less expensive alternatives, including Gloria Steinem ($30,000), Cokie Roberts ($40,000), Tina Brown ($50,000) and Lesley Stahl ($50,000).

A spokesman for Chelsea Clinton told the Post that as with her mother’s paid speeches at universities, she directed her speaking fee toward the Clinton Foundation.

A spokesman for the university said that Clinton’s fee was paid through private donations.