London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 14, 2026

Biden team defends Yellen making millions in speaking fees from big corporations

Biden team defends Yellen making millions in speaking fees from big corporations

The Biden team responded this weekend to criticism of President-elect Joe Biden’s treasury secretary pick Janet Yellen after it was revealed she raked in more than $7 million as a speaker from Wall Street firms and other corporations after leaving the Federal Reserve in 2018.

The Biden team responded this weekend to criticism of President-elect Joe Biden’s treasury secretary pick Janet Yellen after it was revealed she raked in more than $7 million as a speaker from Wall Street firms and other corporations after leaving the Federal Reserve in 2018.

"Janet Yellen is among the pre-eminent economic policymakers in the world today. Since leaving the Fed after several decades in public service, she has spoken at economic conferences, universities and to business groups and financial institutions about her experiences ... Her experience and expertise are the reasons President-elect Biden wanted her on his team working for him and on behalf of the American people to help us build back better from this economic crisis," a Biden transition team spokesperson said in a statement.

"Take a look at her record on enforcement – this is not someone who pulls punches when it comes to bad actors or bad behavior. You can expect she will bring the same high ethical standards and tough enforcement philosophy to Treasury," the spokesperson continued. "In fact, she didn’t hesitate to tell some audiences that the rules governing their business should be tougher and more stringent – and it could create problems for the economy otherwise."


Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen waits for a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee on Capitol Hill, November 29, 2017, in Washington, DC.


Yellen received nearly $1 million from Citi alone after delivering nine speeches to the bank.

Other companies shelling out big bucks for Yellen’s speeches have included Goldman Sachs, Google, City National Bank, UBS, Citadel LLC, Barclays and Salesforce.



Yellen delivered a total of more than 50 speeches to the companies, The Wall Street Journal reported.

She plans to resign from a position with Magellan Financial Group of Australia if confirmed for the Treasury job, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It remained unclear whether Yellen’s disclosures would cause problems with Democrats in Congress who supported her, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who had called Yellen an “outstanding choice” to lead the Treasury, Politico reported.



Warren has previously complained about a “revolving door” for officials who go back and forth between government jobs and lucrative positions in the private sector.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
Bayeux Tapestry Draws Large Crowds at British Museum
Cuts to International Aid Raise Concerns Over Fragile Overseas Health Systems
UK Airlines and Logistics Operators Adjust Capacity as Fuel Costs Rise
UK Mortgage Arrears Edge Lower in Second Quarter
UK Government Advances New Devolution Offers for English Councils
UK Parliament Begins Debate on NHS Governance and Single Patient Record Reforms
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North Devolution Initiative
UK Parliament Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults
UK Bans Goods From Israeli Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Technology Services Strengthen
Metropolitan Police Continue Investigation Into Reform UK Political Financing
Chinese Crypto Entrepreneur Leon Li Identified as Seller of £190 Million London Mansion
Trades Union Congress Proposes Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Surcharge
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for State Pension Triple Lock to Be Scrapped
Anthropic Says Claude Helped Disrupt Biological Weapons and Cyber Espionage Threats
UK Imposes Sanctions Over Israeli Settlements and West Bank Violence
UK Reimposes Sectoral Sanctions on Iran’s Aviation, Shipping and Energy Networks
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as AI and Programming Services Lift Activity
UK House of Commons Rejects Assisted Dying Bill by 286 Votes to 270
UK Reviews Nationwide Emergency Alert Tests After Systems Meet Reliability Targets
UK Seeks Faster Rail Links Across Northern Industrial Corridors
British Business Bank Allocates £150 Million for High-Growth Companies in Northern England
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Possible Amid Pay Dispute and £500 Million Savings Drive
×