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The former PM received a warm welcome from the audience as he delivered his first speaking engagement since leaving office. Mr Johnson was reportedly paid around £135,524 for the 30-minute speech at the Insurance Leadership Forum in Colorado Springs.
It would appear Mr Johnson has followed suit from his predecessor Theresa May, who has reportedly earned over £1million in speeches since December 2019.
The Times reports that Johnson gave a 30-minute speech, before conducting a 45-minute “fireside chat’ on stage with a senior insurance broker.
The speech came a day after Mr Johnson registered a new company – named ‘The Office of Boris Johnson Limited’ – as he put together arrangements for his life outside of parliament.
As well as following former leaders in accepting well-paid speaking gigs, he has also been tipped to make a possible return to journalism.
He became a journalist in 1989 as the Brussels correspondent and a political columnist for The Daily Telegraph, and from 1999 to 2005 was the editor of The Spectator.
During his speech in the US, Mr defended certain decisions he made while in office including his backing for Brexit and net zero emissions.
He also spoke briefly about the war in Ukraine and said he believes Putin will, ultimately, lose.
The former UK Prime Minister also said he thought the global economy would recover from both Russia’s war and the pandemic.
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He is understood to have avoided speaking about the new PM, Liz Truss, or the current state of the pound and UK economy, but did mention the strength of the dollar.
Mr also paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, with whom he shared many audiences with throughout his premiership.
The audience reportedly gave Mr Johnson a standing ovation after speaking about Brexit and the war in Ukraine, as well as joking about his birth in New York City.
His appearance at the exclusive event, hosted by the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers at the Broadmoor Hall resort in Colorado Spring, was described by organisers as an “exclusive discussion on global politics and economics”.
His timeslot for the fireside chat was scheduled to be 90 minutes, but The Times reported that he instead delivered a 30-minute speech before engaging in a 45-minute chat on stage with a senior insurance broke for the large fee.
He was said to have left quickly to resume a private holiday with his family after the event finished.
Renato Lilienfeld, president and senior partner in Lilienfeld Corredores de Seguros, told the paper: “It was a privilege, an honour and a great opportunity to have the possibility to be so close to Mr Johnson in such an open environment”.
He added: “He talked very much about Brexit as well and the reasons behind leaving the European Union. He’s still a great believer in Brexit and that Brexit is good for the UK.”
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