Obama to visit Singapore next month for Bank of Singapore event

This article is more than 12 months old

THAM YUEN-C

Feb 14, 2018 06:00 am

Former US president Barack Obama will be in Singapore on March 19 in his first trip here since leaving office in January last year.

Mr Obama, 56, who made an official visit to Singapore in 2009, is coming in his personal capacity for a Bank of Singapore private event.

Bank of Singapore chief executive officer Bahren Shaari said: "For eight years, Mr Obama was the most powerful person in the world.

"And it is from this unique perspective that he will speak on the future of the global economy as well as Asia's growing role."

The private bank, a subsidiary of OCBC Bank, said it is inviting 1,000 of its selected clients and guests from around the world for the session, billed as a "moderated conversation with the 44th president of the US" in its e-mail invite.

It is not known how much he will be paid by the bank in Singapore, but The New York Times reported that his speaking fees are up to US$400,000 (S$530,000) a speech.