Bill Maher confronted Hunter Biden over whether he profited from his famous family name during a tense exchange Friday, prompting the former president’s son to acknowledge that his father helped him land a lucrative position with a Ukrainian energy company.
Hunter Biden appeared on Maher’s “Real Time,” where the pair discussed his recovery from addiction, former President Joe Biden, the Iran war and other subjects.
During the conversation, Hunter Biden pushed back against the perception that he conducted business while his father occupied the White House.
“One of the things that people, I think, don’t understand is that when my dad was president, I didn’t do any business,” Biden said.
He said his income during that period came from selling paintings, adding that buyers later testified under oath before Congress. Biden said he earned an average of $225,000 annually.
Maher quickly turned the discussion toward Hunter Biden’s controversial stint on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. Biden served on the board from 2014 until 2019, a period that included his father’s tenure as vice president under President Barack Obama.
“But would you have been working for an energy company out of Ukraine?” Maher asked. “Was that really the thing you studied in school?”
Biden responded by pointing out that he attended Yale Law School, but Maher continued pressing him.
“You got that job because [of your dad]. Just admit it,” Maher said.
“Yeah, I just did. 100%,” Biden replied.
Maher responded simply: “Good.”
Hunter Biden then acknowledged the extraordinary privileges he received because of his father, saying he has discussed the issue repeatedly in interviews.
Biden said his privilege came not only from his father’s position but also from the kind of father Joe Biden was to him. He said he does not deny benefiting from those circumstances.
Maher noted that such privilege also places a “target on your back.”
Hunter Biden went further, acknowledging that his judgment surrounding his business dealings was deeply flawed and that he had been naive about how those arrangements would ultimately be perceived.
“My judgment… was absolutely, completely, ridiculously off,” Biden said.
He acknowledged that his decisions gave his father’s critics ammunition and bluntly admitted that money motivated his involvement.
“I did it for the money,” Biden said, adding that the income provided him with a sense of freedom.
Maher closed the discussion by comparing Hunter Biden’s financial dealings to those of President Donald Trump’s children, specifically Donald Trump Jr.
“Just for perspective, I mean, whatever you made, it’s pennies compared to what Don Jr. is making,” Maher said.
Maher claimed the difference was enormous, saying Hunter Biden’s earnings were “not even a fraction of a penny” by comparison.
“I mean billions,” Maher added. “That’s just the truth.”