Hunter Biden tells Bill Maher he did no business while his father was president. Then he admits he got the Ukraine energy job because of his dad

Hunter Biden appeared on Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. He talked about his recovery from addiction, his father, former President Joe Biden, the Iran war, and other subjects. Biden told Maher that people misunderstand him and believe he profited from his father’s name while Joe Biden served as president.

“One of the things that people, I think, don’t understand is that when my dad was president, I didn’t do any business. I sold paintings, and I sold paintings to people that then had to testify before Congress under oath. I made an average of $225,000 a year,” Biden said.

Maher then brought up Biden’s time on the board of directors at Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. Biden held that role from 2014 to 2019. When Hunter Biden was appointed, his father was serving as the Vice President under Barack Obama.

Maher presses Biden on the Burisma board role and privilege

“But would you have been working for an energy company out of Ukraine? Was that really the thing you studied in school?” Maher asked. Biden replied that he went to Yale Law School as Maher kept pressing the point. “You got that job because [of your dad]. Just admit it,” Maher said. “Yeah, I just did. 100%,” Biden acknowledged.

Biden then stated, “I’ve said on a million interviews, is that, you know, I’m incredibly privileged. I mean, beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, not only because of who my dad was, but because of the father that he was. And so a lot of privilege comes from that, and I don’t deny that in any way.”

Maher said that kind of privilege also comes with a “target on your back.” Biden said he was naive about how the public and his father’s critics would see his business dealings. The admission comes as his father, former President Joe Biden, has recently made other public statements, such as in a fiery speech where he said Trump diminished America’s standing in the world. 

“My judgment… was absolutely, completely, ridiculously off. I didn’t realize the snake pit, and I was naive in that sense. And I gave them something on a silver platter. Yeah, I’m going to ask you about it. And by the way, let me also say this. I did it for the money. And that’s what other people won’t say. I absolutely, 100% did do it, because it gave me a sense of freedom,” Biden said.

Maher closed the topic by comparing the amounts to what Donald Trump’s children have made. “Just for perspective, I mean, whatever you made, it’s pennies compared to what Don Jr. Is making,” Maher said. “Not even a fraction of a penny. I mean billions. That’s just the truth.” The two have publicly sparred on social media, such as when Hunter Biden challenged Donald Trump Jr. to a fight in a post criticizing a White House UFC event.