Hunter Biden acknowledged in a recent interview that his board positions, including one with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, helped fund his crack cocaine addiction. Biden said on the "Dopey" podcast that he "never went broke" and that the income from these roles enabled him to finance his substance abuse.
Biden reportedly earned up to $50,000 per month from 2014 to 2019 for his position on Burisma's board, despite lacking experience in the energy sector. He described a period of extensive drug use, including a two-month stay at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, which he sought to fund through his ongoing professional engagements.
During his father's presidency, Republican lawmakers investigated Hunter Biden's connections to Burisma as part of a broader inquiry into alleged influence peddling by the Biden family. While Joe Biden was vice president, he supported Ukraine's natural gas industry. Hunter Biden joined Burisma in April 2014, and records later indicated that his father had met with a Burisma executive in Washington, D.C., a year after Hunter joined the board.
On the podcast, Hunter Biden defended his qualifications for the Burisma role, asserting he was not involved in any illegal activities. He claimed he joined the board because he had prior experience on the boards of numerous other organizations, including the UN World Food Program, Amtrak, and the Center for National Policy. He also noted his tenure as a professor at Georgetown University and his role as counsel at the law firm Boies Schiller.
Biden explained that his commitments to the Burisma board required only four meetings per year. He stated that even during periods of active addiction, he was capable of fulfilling this obligation. He suggested that drug addiction can be underestimated, allowing individuals to still manage significant responsibilities.