Obama's state dinner costs $500,000

What would you imagine a state dinner hosted by U.S President Barack Obama at the White House costs? A few thousand dollars? Try again: it is more like half a million dollars.

According to reliable sources, the rule at the White House is not to be stingy ― in other words, go all the way ― where entertaining diplomatic guests are concerned.

The release of this information comes at a time when Obama is romancing French President Francois Hollande who is currently on a visit to Washington.

In an effort to repair some of the recent conflicts that have broken out between the United States and France, Obama treated Hollande to a lavish state dinner Tuesday with rib eye steaks and everything in between.

Responding to requests from the media about the expenses for such dinners, the White House said the one for an Indian Prime Minister in 2009 cost $572,187 while one for a Mexican President in 2010 came to $563,478.

During a visit by former Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2011, the bill was a little more modest at $412,329.

Further down the list was $215,883 spent on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and $203,053 for former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Not special reasons were given for the considerably smaller expense on state dinners for Merkel and Lee although insiders believe they certainly leave hungry.