Fugitive Edward Snowden Makes 'Thousands' From Speaking Fees

Edward Snowden leaked classified information

Edward Snowden has reportedly earned $200,000 (£155,000) in speaking fees over the past year, despite being holed up in an undisclosed Russian location.

American investigative journalist Michael Isikoff says he earned the six figure sum for speeches via video link, which were arranged by a US major speaker bureau.

At least three of the speeches were hosted by public American universities, the report said.

Mr Snowden is an international fugitive who is currently hiding out in Russia, to evade espionage charges in the US.

The former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor leaked classified information in 2013 - exposing numerous global surveillance programmes.

He found sanctuary in Russia, which gave him temporary asylum.

Writing for Yahoo News Mr Isikoff said: "In the last five months, a larger-than-life Snowden has appeared on giant screens to a sold-out audience at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, northern Europe's largest music festival, a symposium on surveillance and civil rights in Tokyo, and Comic-Con in San Diego.

"In all of these cases, as with most of his appearances, sympathetic crowds greeted him with thunderous applause and praise for his decision to leak classified documents to journalists about US surveillance programmes."

He cited a source familiar with Mr Snowden's financial affairs, who said he had earned a total of $200,000.

But he added: "The spectacle of Snowden, who stole hundreds of thousands of classified government documents, profiting from his celebrity has irked some US intelligence officials."

His lawyer Ben Wizner said there is "nothing remotely improper about Edward Snowden making a living by speaking to global audiences about surveillance and democracy".

He added that Mr Snowden lives a "modest and frugal" lifestyle.