Herman Cain, who, up until Monday, was President Donald Trump’s likely pick for the Federal Reserve Board, said he dropped out of the process after finding out the salary: a paltry $183,100.
“It’s an honor, it’s prestigious, and I really wanted to do it, emotionally,” Cain told the Wall Street Journal. “But factually, it is a big cut in pay.”
“My biggest passion is making money,” he added.
Scrutiny will now likely shift to Trump’s other embattled likely nominee, Stephen Moore. Between his lack of qualifications and spat with the IRS, he also carries significant baggage into the confirmation process.
As for Cain, he seems content to return to his life of high-paying speaking gigs and weird spammy email blitzes.
“Do you want a horse kept in the stable…or do you want to put this horse out on the racetrack and let him run?” Cain asked. “I’m a racehorse, OK? And working from the Fed, I would have been severely hampered in a lot of things that I could say and do. I did not like that prospect.”
