Michelle Obama Net Worth and Journey To Financial Prosperity

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, has not only left an indelible mark on American politics and culture but has also amassed significant wealth.

Beyond her role in public service, Michelle Obama’s ventures in writing, speaking engagements, and business collaborations have contributed to her substantial net worth of $70 million.

This article explores the various aspects of Michelle Obama’s financial standing, shedding light on her journey from the White House to her current position as a prominent figure in media and entrepreneurship.

[Photo: NBC News]

Michelle Obama’s Net Worth and Salary

Michelle Obama, an American lawyer, writer, and former First Lady of the United States, and her husband, Barack Obama, have a combined net worth of $70 million.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Michelle Obama worked at the law firm Sidley Austin in Chicago.

She focused on marketing and intellectual property. Later, she shifted her focus to community outreach and engagement.

She served as the Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development for the City of Chicago. She worked on affordable housing initiatives.

Later, she became the founding Executive Director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies. It’s a non-profit leadership training program for young people pursuing careers in the public sector.

Michelle worked as the Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center. She created programs promoting volunteerism and community outreach.

As First Lady, Obama focused on education, military families, healthy eating, and poverty awareness. Her “Let’s Move!” campaign aimed to reduce childhood obesity.

It encouraged a healthy lifestyle in children by improving school lunches and promoting physical activity.

She launched the “Joining Forces” initiative with Dr. Jill Biden, supporting military families and veterans.

Also, the “Reach Higher” initiative encouraged young people to pursue higher education and career training.

Michelle’s memoir, “Becoming,” published in 2018, became a bestseller. It offered an intimate look into her life, beliefs, and experiences.

Her book tour sparked a global conversation about empowerment, self-discovery, and resilience.

Post-White House, she continues to work on issues she championed as First Lady through the Obama Foundation.

With her husband, Barack Obama, she has entered into a multi-year production deal with Netflix. They produce various scripted and unscripted series, documentaries, and features.

Biography

Michelle Obama was born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She grew up in the South Shore community area.

Her father had multiple sclerosis, which was tough emotionally, so she focused on her studies and was a hardworking student.

In 1981, she graduated from Whitney Young High School, ranking second in her class.

Then, she attended Princeton University, majoring in sociology and minoring in African-American studies. She graduated cum laude in 1985.

While at Princeton, she got deeply involved with an academic and cultural group called The Third World Center, which supported minority students.

Michelle later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988.

At Harvard, she worked for the Harvard Legal Bureau, assisting low-income tenants with housing cases. Michelle Obama is the third First Lady to have earned a postgraduate degree.

Book Advance and Royalties

In February 2017, Barack and Michelle Obama got a $65 million advance for the combined rights to their autobiographies plus one more (three books total).

Michelle’s 2018 book “Becoming” sold 750,000 copies on its first day alone. As of now, it has sold more than 10 million copies.

Michelle Obama’s Net Worth and Income History

• 2000: $240,000
• 2001: $272,759
• 2002: $259,394
• 2003: $238,327
• 2004: $207,647
• 2005: $1,655,106
• 2006: $983,826
• 2007: $4,139,965
• 2008: $2,656,902
• 2009: $5,505,409
• 2010: $1,728,096
• 2011: $789,674
• 2012: $662,076
• 2013: $481,098
• 2014: $477,383
• 2015: $436,065
• 2016: ?
• 2017: At least $65,000,000
• Total: $85,733,727

Real Estate

In August 2000, Barack and Michelle bought a $1.6 million home in Kenwood, Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs.

The Obama home has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, mahogany bookshelves, a granite kitchen floor, and a wine cellar.

After leaving office, Barack and Michelle rented a mansion in Washington, D.C., while their youngest daughter finished high school. In June 2017, they spent $8.1 million to buy the 8,200-square-foot rental.

Martha’s Vineyard Property

In 2019, the Obamas paid $11.75 million for a house on Martha’s Vineyard.

The property has a 7,000-square-foot main home and 29 oceanfront acres of land. The seller of the property was Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck.

The house boasts not one, but two guest wings. Interestingly, it only has a two-car garage, meaning long-term guests like Sasha and Malia will need to park elsewhere.

However, it offers plenty of private beachfront, including a boathouse.

The Obamas had rented the property as a summer home. Clearly, they enjoyed their time there enough to make an offer to buy the house.