Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is an American author and former First Lady of the United States with an estimated net worth of $70 million. A former attorney turned bestselling writer, she has built her wealth in the years since leaving the White House largely through publishing and media deals.

Early Life & Family

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Her father worked as a city pump operator and her mother was a homemaker who later worked as a bank secretary. She attended Whitney Young Magnet High School before going on to Princeton University, where she earned a degree in sociology, and Harvard Law School.

Rise to Fame

After law school, Obama worked as an attorney at the Chicago firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. She later moved into public service roles, including as executive director of the Chicago office of the nonprofit Public Allies and as a vice president at the University of Chicago Medical Center, before becoming First Lady of the United States in 2009.

Career History

As First Lady, Obama led national initiatives including “Let’s Move!,” focused on childhood obesity, and “Reach Higher,” focused on education access. After leaving the White House in 2017, she published the bestselling memoir “Becoming” in 2018, which has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide. She and Barack Obama also founded the production company Higher Ground, producing content for Netflix, and she went on to publish additional books, including “The Light We Carry” in 2022, and to launch a podcast.

How They Built Their Wealth

Obama’s wealth has come primarily from book deals, including a joint publishing agreement with Barack Obama reported to be worth tens of millions of dollars, along with substantial ongoing royalties from “Becoming.” She also earns significant income from paid speaking engagements, as well as through the Netflix production deal and other media ventures tied to Higher Ground Productions.

Personal Life

Obama has been married to former President Barack Obama since 1992, and the couple have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

Through publishing, media, and speaking, Michelle Obama’s estimated net worth stands at $70 million.