• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
LeadershipBarack Obama

This Is President Obama’s Net Worth

By
Andrew Lisa
Andrew Lisa
and
GoBankingRates
GoBankingRates
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Andrew Lisa
Andrew Lisa
and
GoBankingRates
GoBankingRates
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 17, 2017, 11:43 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States and the Barack Obama era will officially come to an end. While his net worth is nowhere near that of his successor, Mr. Obama will leave office a very rich man.

Based on a recent study by American University in Washington, D.C., the Obamas could stand to make as much as $242 million once leaving the White House. Here is a look at President Barack Obama as he turns over the presidency, his net worth and plans for the future.

Find Out: 15 Crazy Perks of Being President

President Barack Obama Net Worth: $12.2 Million

For his day job as president, Barack Obama earned $400,000 a year throughout his entire eight-year term — a salary that incoming president Trump has vowed to forgo. The president also receives a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account and a $19,000 entertainment budget.

On April 15, 2016, President Obama released his 2015 tax returns, which showed that he and First Lady Michelle Obama filed jointly and reported an adjusted gross income of $436,065. They paid $81,472 in taxes according to their 18.7 percent tax rate.

They also donated a total of $64,066 to more than 30 charities.

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Mr. Obama has a net worth of $12.2 million and First Lady Michelle Obama is not far behind with a net worth of $11.8 million.

Related: President Donald Trump’s Net Worth

A Timeline of Barack Obama’s Wealth

How exactly did Obama grow his fortune? Here’s a timeline of his earnings over the years, as Chronicled by Business Insider:

—2004: He earned a salary of $80,287 from the Illinois State Senate and $32,144 from the University of Chicago Law School, where he taught. The president also had assets in four financial funds worth between $50,000 and $100,000 each.

—2005: Obama signed a multi-book deal with Random House and received a $1.9 million advance for “The Audacity of Hope,” plus royalties, following his appearance at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Also that year he earned just over $847,000 off another book advance, plus $378,000 off additional book royalties. Meanwhile, his investments grew with the addition of a Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund valued between $50,000 and $100,000. He also reported deposit accounts valued between $150,000 and $350,000.

—2006: Obama reported book royalties of just under $150,000, plus $425,000 off an additional book advance. He also acquired publicly-traded assets worth tens of thousands, including funds with Goldman Sachs and Vanguard.

—2007: Obama earned $3.3 million off book royalties from Random House and $816,000 from Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. He acquired a Northern Municipal Money Market Fund valued between $1 million and $5 million, in addition to U.S. Treasury notes valued between $500,000 and $1 million. For his daughters, he invested in two 529 college savings plans valued around $200,000 each.

—2008: When Obama was sworn in as president, he owned somewhere between $1 million and $5.1 million in U.S. Treasury bills.

—2009: Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, which came with a $1.4 million award. He donated it to an assortment of charities.

—2009-2015: Obama earned $400,000 a year as president and continued to earn book royalties, as well as interest on his investments.

Learn: The Best Investments at Each Stage During Your Life

Barack Obama: Life Beyond the Presidency

According to Time, the first thing Barack Obama plans to do after leaving the hardest job in the world is to “sleep for two weeks.”

The president is likely to return to his community activist roots — following his slumber, of course, according to USA Today. That will likely include work on issues that were important to him during his presidency, such as gun control, immigration, nuclear nonproliferation, race relations and criminal justice reform.

According to the 1958 Former Presidents Act, Obama will receive the salary of a Cabinet secretary for the rest of his life. Currently, that’s $205,700 a year. Among the other perks are health insurance and round-the-clock Secret Service protection until his death.

The costs of Secret Service protection are not made public, but Obama will also receive funds for an office, staff and related expenses, which George W. Bush took advantage of to the tune of $1.1 million in 2015.

Related: How Obama Benefits From Your Tax Refund

Many presidents establish foundations and enjoy lucrative second careers as in-demand speakers and authors. Although there is no hard data on Obama’s previous speaking fees, past presidents such as George W. Bush have earned between $100,000 and $175,000 per engagement after they left the White House.

First off, money talks. According to CNN, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary earned an average of $210,795 per speech in the 15 or so years since he left office. That totals approximately $153 million for 729 paid speaking engagements.

American University estimates that the Obamas could make as many as 50 speeches a year once he is out of office, earning “a conservative $200,000 apiece and you’re already close to $200 million before taxes,” the study found.

Mr. Obama has already proven to be an accomplished and popular author. Following the presidency, experts predict that he could earn about $30 million for his memoir, while Michelle Obama could garner an estimated $10 million for hers, according to the New York Times.

Either way, Obama will be the first president in nearly 100 years to remain in Washington, D.C., after leaving office. He and the family will remain in town so his youngest daughter, Sasha, can finish high school.

Their new Washington digs are located in the capitol’s posh Kalorama neighborhood, where first daughter Ivanka Trump also owns a home. The Obamas have leased an 8,200-square-foot, nine-bedroom mansion that was built in 1928. The spacious home last sold for $5.3 million in 2014 and is estimated to be worth $6.3 million today.

Barack Obama will leave office a very rich man. He and the first lady are likely to remain a visible Washington power couple after an even wealthier power broker takes his place in the Oval Office.

This article originally appeared on GoBankingRates.com

About the Authors
By Andrew Lisa
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By GoBankingRates
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

The hidden cost of your AI rollout: burning out the high performers running it
Workplace Cultureburnout
The hidden cost of your AI rollout: burning out the high performers running it
By Mikaela Cohen and HR BrewJune 23, 2026
8 hours ago
dr
HealthCancer
The U.S. cut cancer deaths by 34% since 1991—but not in 458 rural counties
By Arthur Cosby and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
11 hours ago
college
SuccessEducation
47% of Harvard seniors admit to cheating — and the problem existed long before ChatGPT
By Austin Sarat and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
11 hours ago
work
Workplace Culturework culture
Worker engagement just hit a decade low — and new data from 88 million employees shows why managers are the problem
By Bob Batchelor and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
11 hours ago
Young woman shopper in store
SuccessPersonal Finance
As 93% of Americans lean on coupons to get by, Bed Bath & Beyond is splashing out $100K on a home renovation for their thriftiest shopper
By Emma BurleighJune 23, 2026
13 hours ago
Matt Freese stopping a soccer ball entering the goal
SuccessCareers
Team USA’s goalkeeper passed on Manchester United, the club that helped shape David Beckham’s career, for Harvard—and has zero regrets
By Preston ForeJune 23, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
17 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
19 hours ago
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
Investing
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
By Nick LichtenbergJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
16 hours ago
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.