After decades in public service, former President Joe Biden retired with the largest taxpayer-funded pension ever received by a former U.S. president — about $417,000 a year, an amount that actually exceeds his presidential salary, according to an expert. At 83, Biden was in line to collect the sizable sum in his first year out of office, drawing from two separate pension plans.
The estimate comes from an analysis by Demian Brady, vice president of the National Taxpayer Union Foundation, who reviewed the benefits tied to Biden's lengthy political career, the New York Post reported. "It's pretty unusual, historically unusual, to have such a large pension amount," Brady told the outlet.
Getting Richer after Retirement
When asked how Biden's pension stacks up against those of past presidents, the taxpayer advocate was blunt. "I would have to say that it's the largest," he said. The estimated yearly payout is striking — roughly twice what former President Barack Obama has received in retirement and about $17,000 more than Biden's own $400,000 annual presidential salary.
According to Brady, the figure reflects Biden's "unique situation" as someone who has served as a senator, vice president, and president, a rare career path that allowed him to benefit from a loophole enabling access to multiple taxpayer-funded retirement plans.
Biden, who once referred to himself as "one of the poorest members" of Congress, qualifies for the generous benefits by drawing from both the Former Presidents Act of 1958 and the Civil Service Retirement System for former senators.
Under the CSRS formula, his annual pension is calculated based on his 44 years in the Senate and as vice president, along with his three highest-earning years during that long stretch in public office.
"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," according to Brady, who says the estimate assumes Biden took steps to maximize the value of his Senate retirement plan.
If not for a cap that limits payouts to 80% of a lawmaker's highest salary, Biden would have collected more than $254,000 a year from the Civil Service Retirement System alone. His benefits are restricted because the maximum is tied to his top annual pay of $230,700, earned during his time as vice president and president of the Senate.
Planned Retirement
First elected to the Senate in 1972, Biden entered office before changes were made to scale back the generosity of the retirement plan for newer members. In addition to his Senate and vice presidential pension, he also receives roughly $250,000 a year from his presidential retirement.
Under the Former Presidents Act of 1958, a former president's pension is pegged to the salary of a Cabinet secretary, which currently stands at $250,600. The law was passed amid public concern that former President Harry Truman was struggling financially after leaving office — though many historians now say Truman was actually a multimillionaire and not in danger of financial hardship.
Beyond the pension itself, the act provides former presidents with several taxpayer-funded benefits, including staff, equipment, and office space. For fiscal year 2026, the General Services Administration set aside more than $1.5 million for Biden, including $727,000 for office space alone — the highest amount allocated to any former president.
"There's no cap on the rent for that," Brady said. "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."
