‘Obama Inc.’ catapults ex-advisers into lucrative careers

Working for President Obama’s inner circle has its perks, it seems.

Numerous members of his close-knit brain trust have moved from White House to lucrative careers, using their presidential ties to successfully springboard into new job titles such as adviser and consultant — with accompanying high-paying salaries, The Hill reported, dubbing the trend “Obama Inc.”

“You see people not only serving as representatives of a lobbying firm but taking these very high-profile corporate jobs,” Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University, told The Hill. “I think that is becoming more common. Businesses understand that this is a great opportunity for them.”

David Plouffe just took a position with the app service Uber to help fight the company’s political battles.

Jay Carney could be the next communications head at Apple, The Hill reported. Former aides Robert Gibbs and Ban Labolt set up their own public relations firm, Incite Agency. And Peter Orszag moved from the Office of Management and Budget to a top-tier position at Citigroup.

The transition from White House to Wall Street isn’t new. But Mr. Obama campaigned on a call for overturning the status quo — and he’s far from realizing that promise, critics say.

“This is the revolving door,” Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen told The Hill. “Obama’s done a great deal in terms of trying to rein in the revolving door, but the revolving door is still very profitable and very common.”