Trudeau Steps Back Into the Spotlight as International Guest Speaker With $100K Fee

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau served as the keynote speaker at an event in South Korea, marking what is thought to be his first major private speaking engagement since resigning as Liberal Party leader earlier this year.

Trudeau is represented by the Speaker Booking Agency, a North American speakers’ bureau and talent marketing agency headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The site lists his areas of expertise as government, politics, and foreign policy, with an in-person speaking fee range of $100,000 or more.

His biography on the talent agent’s site describes him as “a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker” whose expertise is “in high demand.”

Trudeau spoke at the opening ceremony of the 26th World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 9 in his first publicized remarks since officially stepping down as prime minister in March.

His speech—entitled “Leadership and Resilience in a Time of Transition”—emphasized the need for “good people” to remain resilient, saying that the world has entered a new phase when “autocracies now outnumber democracies,” according to the Asian News International agency.

He highlighted swift global transformations, including the U.S.-China rivalry, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and tensions in the Middle East, to illustrate his point, noting that the “pace of change in our world is destabilizing.”

Despite the somber perspective, Trudeau called for optimism, indicating that the future is dependent on “communities of good people.”

He also applauded South Korea’s recent democratic mobilization and thanked the country for “showing us how to fight for democracy at a time when too many around the world are taking it for granted.”

Trudeau also participated in a one-on-one discussion with provincial governor Lee Cheol-woo to look at how partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region can promote “inclusive and sustainable prosperity” in the face of rapid global changes, the forum website said.

The MAEIL Business Newspaper, the title sponsor of the forum, said the 53-year-old Trudeau enjoyed “superstar” status at the event, with many people requesting selfies with him after the opening ceremony.

Trudeau officially stepped down as Liberal leader in March after the party chose current Prime Minister Mark Carney as his successor. He first announced his decision to resign in January, but said he would stay on as prime minister until a new leader was chosen.

His Jan. 6 resignation came after nearly a month of party infighting following Chrystia Freeland’s Dec. 16 resignation as both finance minister and deputy prime minister. Her scathing resignation letter condemning Trudeau’s policies combined with plummeting poll numbers led a number of MPs to call for the prime minister to step down.

Trudeau has kept a relatively low profile since stepping away from politics.

He spent his summer travelling with his children, documenting a trip to British Columbia with his 11-year-old son Hadrien on Instagram on July 13. He also posted photos of a mountaineering trip in Switzerland with his 17-year-old son Xavier at the end of July and a trip to Italy with his 16-year-old daughter Ella-Grace in August.

Trudeau also dined with American pop singer Katy Perry this summer at Le Violon, a restaurant in Montreal’s La Plateau neighbourhood. He was later spotted at the Montreal stop of Perry’s “Lifetimes” tour.