By Aiyeku Timothy
United State’s infectious disease Czar, Dr Anthony Fauci, has been confirmed as the highest-paid doctor in the federal government as well as the highest-paid employee out of four million federal staffers.
The 80-year-old US’ top infectious diseases expert, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), earned $417,608 in 2019, more than former President Donald Trump, who earned $400,000 according to the data available for, pera Freedom of Information Act request by OpenTheBooks.
This is because the pandemic Fauci became the face of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and according to salary data, made more than his peers in 2019.
Vice President Mike Pence, who outranks Fauci in authority, was paid $235,100 salary in 2019, meanwhile, Dr Deborah Birx earned $305,972 in 2019.
It is understood that Donald Trump did not accept the presidential salary and instead wrote checks equal to a quarter of his salary each quarter to various government agencies.
On the list, the highest-paid federal government employees are medical and dental officers.
In other branches of government, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earned $223,500 this year, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts made $270,700 while House and Representatives and Senators were paid $174,000. Four-star military generals also earned $268,000 a year, all less than Fauci, according to Forbes.
In the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, Fauci made $3.6million in salary. In 2014, Fauci’s pay increased from $335,000 to its current $417,608.
Should he remain as Director of the National Institute for Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and current Chief Medical Advisor to the President, he’ll make a whopping $2.5million from 2019 through 2024, if he doesn’t get a raise.
However, the makers of those vaccines had salaries that far outpaced Fauci’’s as Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla earned $17.9million in total compensation for 2019, according to the company’s most recent government filing on salaries and bonuses.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel made $8.9million in total compensation for 2019, a company filing shows.
Also, CDC scientist Dr. Stephen Lindstrom, who was in charge of overseeing the CDC COVID-19 testing system, made just $108,747 in basic pay, an additional $23,533 in adjusted pay, and an ‘award ‘of $750 in 2019.
Howbeit, Fauci will continue in the role as director of the NIAID under President Joe Biden’s administration, and will also take on the role of chief medical officer.
He has led the NIAID since 1984 and has helped tackle the AIDS, Zika, and Ebola epidemics, winning dozens of honorary doctoral degrees and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his leadership during the AIDS crisis – but it’s his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has propelled him into the spotlight.
In his role as head of the NIAID, it’s not uncommon for him to work a 20-hour day.
