It's a legal way to baksheesh them! Nicolas Sarkozy then a random french president got payed over 200000 euros to give a 15mn speech at a Qatar based event. Qatar did really well in Business with the french since then. That's how it works!
>People also give this kind of money to famous non politicians.
Only famous non-politicians have interesting and specific things to say (e.g. someone like Malcom Gladwell, etc). Few care what a politician has to say, after all they hear what they have to say all the time, in interviews, public statements, campaign speeches, etc.
