(CNN) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's first major speaking engagement after leaving office won't be in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina.
Instead, she's apparently headed to Hong Kong.
According to the Hong Kong-based brokerage firm CLSA, Palin will be the keynote speaker at their 16th annual investor's conference in September. The conference of financial heavy-hitters brings together hundreds of CEOs, CIOs and fund managers from around the world. In agreeing to speak, Palin's joining some esteemed company: past speakers at the conference have included Bill Clinton, Alan Greenspan, Al Gore and Desmond Tutu.
The former governor's spokesman was not immediately available to confirm the speaking engagment, which was announced in a press release Monday by CLSA. Palin's team hasn't always been on the same page as event organizers who have billed her as as a headline speaker. Over the last four months, organizers at conservative events in Alaska and in Washington, D.C. have announced appearances by the GOP star, only to discover at the last minute she would not attend.
CLSA appeared firm in their plans Monday, telling reporters that Palin is making her first trip to Asia. "As the first female governor of Alaska and the youngest person ever elected governor of that state, Palin has broken new ground in U.S. politics and we are delighted that she will make her first visit to Asia to present at the CLSA Investors' Forum," CLSA chairman Jonathan Sloane said in a statement.
Since departing office in July, Palin has been busy writing her book, a memoir set to be published in spring 2010 by HarperCollins. Her father Chuck Heath told The (Spokane, Washington) Spokesman-Review Friday that his daughter "has been out of town for almost a month now" working on the draft.
"I don't know exactly where she is, but she's writing her book," Heath said. "She e-mails me quite frequently. She asks, 'Oh, what happened on June 13, 1978?' This is material for her book."
Heath said Palin asks him about "trivial things like maybe a basketball game, 'How many points did I score here?' 'When did we go to the Boston Marathon?' Mainly sports."
From CNN Politics
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This is a joke, right?
Is she gonna rail against them for being communists?
THIS IS A LAUGH! i can't believe she's brazen enough to make such a laughing fool of herself at something like this.i sure hope it is played on CNN. what a laugh this will be.
Please, send her "on a sloooooooooooooooooooow boat to China !"
Country first!
In honor of our military, I hope for once she will tell the truth, and not make anything up.
Isn't China a communist country? If she's so tough on so-called 'socialism', then what's she doing there?
Looks likes she wants to become the leader of the "Global Corporate Fascist Party".I think they just want some eyecandy to give some Rush Limbaugh talking points.
Hope they learn something or something new from this idiot. Now we know where her heart is and they in not the USA.
First, very glad she is not coming to New Hampshire anytime soon. Our state likes to stay clean. Secondly, I think the CLSA is desperate for a speaker to try to get her! What a joke to have Sarah Palin go to a coference where she'll have to talk about investments. Frankly, we know she'll be talking about the only investment she cares about: herself.
CLSA is smart for getting Sarah booked now. She's going to be very busy and impossible to schedule between 2012 and 2020! You will have to contact her then in Washington DC.
Hong Kong please remember not to ask her any difficult questions – we know she can't answer them. Ok having said that please also remember she does not represent America or Americans so do not base your assumptions about us by listenning to this pathetic woman.
Ugh, could she STAY in Hong Kong?
She probably won't show up. Or maybe she'll quit right in the middle of the speech. You never know.
Palin is no longer a candidate and is no longer a governor. Why does the media insist on this type of coverage rather than really analyze the Obamacare proposals, or Holders political use of the Justice Department, or Rangel's latest ethical lapse?
CNN your kidding
Can they keep her? Sure would be nice.
Her father knew she was wrtitng her book when she asked him to send her a new box of crayons...................
Odds are flakey Sarah Palin will be a no-show once again. She's a nut.
Please stop covering this woman. I so tired of hearing about her.
Sarah, when you return could you let us know if you can see Russia from Hong Kong?
CLSA must really be paying her the big bucks for her team not to announce of a mix up in scheduling.
Let her go – her speech writer better make sure she doesn't give an interview afterwards b/c she will definitely go off script and ramble the jibberish that we have gotten accustomed to hearing with a belly laugh.
She definitely has an ego problem and doesn't seem to understand we are laughing at her stupidity. They can have the beauty queen but please keep the mic from her b/c she will need an out of space speech interrupter
...you are joking right? who gives a rat's donkey's rear end!
Love this woman. Go, Sarah – show them your business and foreign policy chops (so they stop falling back on stupid jokes based on Tina Fey's impersonations of you.)
Palin 2012.