Doctor Botox
Olivier Véran, a former French government spokesperson and ex-minister of health, recently announced his next career venture at the Clinique des Champs-Élysées in Paris. For Véran, who was a neurologist before turning to politics, going back to medicine is not all that surprising. What was shocking — and caused some uproar in the medical community — was his decision to join a high-end clinic specializing in cosmetic medicine and surgery. Véran was quick to defend his choice, saying he won’t perform cosmetic surgery procedures, focusing instead on aesthetic medicine. “I won’t touch penises or buttocks, and I’ll be very far from breast implants,” he promised. That didn’t stop Le Point from christening him “Doctor Botox.”
Facebook flack
Former U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has found a niche — and the big bucks — in Silicon Valley. As president of global affairs at Meta, he handles the company’s relationships with governments, a thankless task in an era when Facebook has become synonymous with political disinformation. In 2021, the Guardian dubbed him the “fall guy” for the company’s troubles. At least he’s made enough money to buy multiple luxury homes.
Honey, honey
A former French economy minister, socialist Arnaud Montebourg got creative with his post-politics endeavors. After resigning in 2014 and trying — without success — to win the Socialist nomination for the presidential election in 2017, Montebourg turned to … honey. In 2018, he founded “Bleu, Blanc, Ruche” (“Blue, White, Beehive”), a company that produces and sells 100 percent French-made honey while focusing on bee repopulation. And he’s seemingly pretty good at it: He won the environment prize at the 2021 “Made in France” exhibition.
