As you may know, the President of the United States of America's salary while in office is $200,000, although Congress has approved doubling it to $400,000 starting with the next President (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the person currently holding that position). The current retirement pay of all living Presidents is $151,800 a year, the amount a Cabinet secretary is paid.

Whenever the pay for a Cabinet secretary goes up, so does the retirement benefit for a former President. To receive this pay, all a President has to do at a minimum is serve for one day and be removed from office by impeachment and conviction. Ex-Presidents also get money for a three-member staff, as well as an office, and franking and other expense privileges.

The expense accounts amount to between $450,000 and $650,000 a year, depending on where the ex-President wants to locate the office. These benefits are for life, and ex-Presidents get them regardless of how long they were in office.