ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Joe Biden’s whopping pension amount revealed — the most any US president has ever received

The Democrat has worked as a Senator, Vice President, and President, allowing him to earn big.
PUBLISHED JAN 5, 2026
Former US President Joe Biden. (Cover Image Source: Photo by Rebecca Noble | Getty Images)
Former US President Joe Biden. (Cover Image Source: Photo by Rebecca Noble | Getty Images)

Joe Biden may have lost the support and confidence of American voters due to his policies, but he will still get the most hefty pension that any U.S. President has received. High-ranking government officials, including Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Senators, get a substantial pension once their political careers come to an end. When it comes to Biden, he will be taking home a whopping $417,000.

Joe Biden on the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention | Getty Images | Photo by Win McNamee
Former US President Joe Biden. (Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Win McNamee)

The pension funds are taxpayer-funded, and Biden is set to get the amount from two such funds. “It’s pretty unusual, historically unusual, to have such a large pension amount,” National Taxpayer Union Foundation Vice President Demian Brady said as per a report in The New York Post. “I would have to say that it’s the largest,” he added.

The reason that the former president is eligible for such a huge amount of money as pension is that Biden has been part of the American establishment for decades, and he has worked in several high-ranking posts. He was elected to the upper chamber in 1972 and has served as a Senator, a Vice-President, and a President. That’s what allows him to draw money from multiple pension funds. He is able to collect benefits established under the Former Presidents Act of 1958, as well as the Civil Service Retirement System for ex-senators.

Joe Biden as Barack Obama's Vice-President. (Image credit: Getty Images | Photo by Matt Stroshane)
Joe Biden as Barack Obama's Vice-President. (Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Matt Stroshane)

The annual pay in the pension plan is calculated by using a formula that takes into account Biden’s 44 years of service as a government official, as well as his three highest years of salary during that time. So, his starting pension was well over what a large majority of the country’s citizens make. This indicates he is going to have a pretty comfortable retirement.

“Biden’s starting pension could be as much as $166,374, including an $18,186 set aside in the program for the spousal portion of benefit,” Brady explained. Thanks to his time as President, he receives a quarter of a million dollars every year as a Presidential pension, equivalent to the salary of a Cabinet secretary. As far as 2026 is concerned, the General Services Administration budgeted more than $1.5 million for Biden, which is $727,000 alone for office space.

Image Source: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the Capital building| Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool | Getty Images
Former US President Joe Biden. (Image credit: Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool | Getty Images)

That is more than any former President in history. “There’s no cap on the rent for that,” Brady said, before adding, “So it could be in a high-density area with high rent, and there is no limit on the amount of square footage that’s being rented and funded by taxpayers. It’s also provided for life.” Brady also believes that measures should be taken to ensure that this amount of taxpayer money doesn’t go towards funding Presidents after their time in office comes to an end.

More on Market Realist:

Pharma companies defy Trump's pressure with latest move — and it will impact most Americans

President Trump's image takes a major hit as America is jolted by economic headwinds

2026 could bring higher health insurance costs for millions of Americans

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Treasury chief expects judges to avoid blocking Trump’s signature tariff policy
6 hours ago
More big names in retail are shutting their doors as they struggle to ensure affordability while making a profit.
9 hours ago
A viral receipt revealed a little-known surcharge at some Chick-fil-A locations
12 hours ago
Troops from several European nations are currently deployed in Greenland at the moment.
2 days ago
Over half of the American population polled does not believe that Trump is prioritizing the right issues.
2 days ago
Drew Carey had his jaw drop in shock after the heartbreaking loss.
2 days ago
This will come as a relief to many Americans, but it could have consequences post-retirement.
2 days ago
The company did not specify what the water was contaminated with or how many it affected.
2 days ago
SCOTUS announced on its website that it may release decisions in argued cases next Tuesday during a scheduled sitting.
2 days ago
"This week's regular edition BR ended with only one win on Thursday," a fan reacted.
2 days ago
Fans of the show caught on to the trick the host was talking about, although he didn't reveal it.
3 days ago
At one point, it seemed like the contestant would fail to win the car.
3 days ago
Experts expect buyers and sellers to find common ground while negotiating in 2026.
3 days ago
Individual and bankruptcy filings have been on the up towards a return to pre-COVID levels.
3 days ago
One GoFundMe page raised over $480,920 for the Ford employee within 24 hours, while another raised over $330,055.
3 days ago
"Iceland? I am jealous!!! Oh, yeah, I'm jealous of the $40k, too, LOL. Gr8 solve, Mat!" a fan reacted.
3 days ago
Despite widespread economic concerns, big banks who posted big profits remain bullish.
4 days ago
One simply has to look at the number on the product tag to gauge its quality.
4 days ago
The contestant was quite nervous towards the end but played the game perfectly.
4 days ago
The retailers were part of a group that sued banks and credit card companies two decades ago.
4 days ago