Where does barack live
Barack Obama | Biography, Parents, Education, Presidency, Books, & Facts
Barack Obama
See all media
- Born:
- August 4, 1961 (age 61) Honolulu Hawaii
- Title / Office:
- presidency of the United States of America (2009-2017), United States United States Senate (2005-2008), United States
- Political Affiliation:
- Democratic Party
- Awards And Honors:
- Nobel Prize (2009) Grammy Award (2007) Grammy Award (2005) Grammy Award (2008): Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Award (2006): Best Spoken Word Album Nobel Peace Prize (2009) John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award (2017)
- Notable Works:
- “A Promised Land” “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance” “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream”
See all related content →
Recent News
Mar. 31, 2023, 7:36 PM ET (AP)
Correction: Harris-Africa story
In a story published March 25, 2023, about U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Africa, The Associated Press erroneously referred to Dar es Salaam as the capital of Tanzania
Mar. 20, 2023, 6:10 PM ET (AP)
Biden issues first veto, taking on new Republican House
President Joe Biden has issued the first veto of his presidency in an early sign of shifting White House relations with the new Congress since Republicans took control of the House in January
Mar. 7, 2023, 4:25 PM ET (AP)
Toni Morrison honored with new stamp, unveiled at Princeton
Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is now forever immortalized on a stamp honoring the prolific writer, editor, scholar and mentor
Mar. 2, 2023, 11:44 AM ET (AP)
Obama praises woman behind 'Fired up' chant as she retires
Former President Barack Obama is marking the retirement of the South Carolina woman credited with popularizing the chant “Fired up, ready to go!”
Top Questions
Who were Barack Obama’s parents?
Barack Obama’s parents married while students at the University of Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., a Kenyan, became an economist in the government of Kenya. His mother, S. Ann Dunham, became an anthropologist. They divorced in 1964. Ann then married (and later divorced) another foreign student, Indonesian Lolo Soetoro.
Where did Barack Obama attend school?
Barack Obama graduated from Punahou School, an elite academy in Honolulu, and then attended Occidental College before transferring to Columbia University and earning (1983) a B.A. in political science. He graduated (1991) magna cum laude from Harvard University’s law school and was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.
What did Barack Obama do for a living?
After working as a writer and editor in Manhattan, Barack Obama became a community organizer in Chicago, lectured on constitutional law at the University of Chicago, worked as a civil rights attorney, and then served in the Illinois Senate (1997–2004), as a U. S. senator (2005–08), and as U.S. president (2009–17).
What did Barack Obama write?
Barack Obama’s first book, Dreams from My Father (1995), is the story of his search for his biracial identity by tracing the lives of his now-deceased father and extended family in Kenya. His second book, The Audacity of Hope (2006), is a polemic on his vision for the United States.
What is Barack Obama famous for?
Are DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAM Act, supported by Barack Obama, good for America?
Whether DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAM Act, supported by Barack Obama, are good for America is widely debated. Some say the policies are are good for the U.S. economy and deporting Dreamers is cruel. Others say the policies only encourage more illegal immigration and amnesty should not be given to law breakers. For more on the Dreamer debate, visit ProCon. org.
Barack Obama, in full Barack Hussein Obama II, (born August 4, 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.), 44th president of the United States (2009–17) and the first African American to hold the office. Before winning the presidency, Obama represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate (2005–08). He was the third African American to be elected to that body since the end of Reconstruction (1877). In 2009 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
Early life
Learn how President Obama passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and ended the Iraq War
See all videos for this articleObama’s father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a teenage goatherd in rural Kenya, won a scholarship to study in the United States, and eventually became a senior economist in the Kenyan government. Obama’s mother, S. Ann Dunham, grew up in Kansas, Texas, and Washington state before her family settled in Honolulu. In 1960 she and Barack Sr. met in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii and married less than a year later.
When Obama was age two, Barack Sr. left to study at Harvard University; shortly thereafter, in 1964, Ann and Barack Sr. divorced. (Obama saw his father only one more time, during a brief visit when Obama was 10.) Later Ann remarried, this time to another foreign student, Lolo Soetoro from Indonesia, with whom she had a second child, Maya. Obama lived for several years in Jakarta with his half sister, mother, and stepfather. While there, Obama attended both a government-run school where he received some instruction in Islam and a Catholic private school where he took part in Christian schooling.
He returned to Hawaii in 1971 and lived in a modest apartment, sometimes with his grandparents and sometimes with his mother (she remained for a time in Indonesia, returned to Hawaii, and then went abroad again—partly to pursue work on a Ph.D.—before divorcing Soetoro in 1980). For a brief period his mother was aided by government food stamps, but the family mostly lived a middle-class existence. In 1979 Obama graduated from Punahou School, an elite college preparatory academy in Honolulu.
Britannica Quiz
President of the United States: Fact or Fiction?
Obama attended Occidental College in suburban Los Angeles for two years and then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where in 1983 he received a bachelor’s degree in political science. Influenced by professors who pushed him to take his studies more seriously, Obama experienced great intellectual growth during college and for a couple of years thereafter. He led a rather ascetic life and read works of literature and philosophy by William Shakespeare, Friedrich Nietzsche, Toni Morrison, and others. After serving for a couple of years as a writer and editor for Business International Corp., a research, publishing, and consulting firm in Manhattan, he took a position in 1985 as a community organizer on Chicago’s largely impoverished Far South Side. He returned to school three years later and graduated magna cum laude in 1991 from Harvard University’s law school, where he was the first African American to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review. While a summer associate in 1989 at the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin, Obama had met Chicago native Michelle Robinson, a young lawyer at the firm. The two married in 1992.
Listen to Janny Scott discuss her biography A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother
See all videos for this articleAfter receiving his law degree, Obama moved to Chicago and became active in the Democratic Party. He organized Project Vote, a drive that registered tens of thousands of African Americans on voting rolls and that is credited with helping Democrat Bill Clinton win Illinois and capture the presidency in 1992. The effort also helped make Carol Moseley Braun, an Illinois state legislator, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. During this period, Obama wrote his first book and saw it published. The memoir, Dreams from My Father (1995), is the story of Obama’s search for his biracial identity by tracing the lives of his now-deceased father and his extended family in Kenya. Obama lectured on constitutional law at the University of Chicago and worked as an attorney on civil rights issues.
Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now
Michelle and Barack Obama's epic $20million property portfolio is a must see!
Michelle and Barack Obama bid farewell to the White House in 2017 after eight years as First Lady and President of the United States, but the busy parents still have an impressive property portfolio worth $20million.
MORE: Michelle Obama sweet photo tribute to Malia and Sasha from inside family's home
The power couple own homes in both Washington and Martha's Vinyard in Massachusetts which are worth a combined $20million. Each property boasts incredible amenities for the couple to enjoy along with their daughters Malia and Sasha when they visit from college. Get the lowdown on the two properties below…
WATCH: Michelle Obama reveals a look inside her office as she announces podcast
The Obamas' Massachusetts home
© LandvestThe Obamas also own a holiday home in Martha's Vineyard
The family have an $11.75 million mansion in the celebrity haunt of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts and it is utterly stunning.
It has seven bedrooms, two guest wings, and an outdoor swimming pool. It sits on a sprawling 29-acre estate with beautiful sea views, and even has its own private beach and boathouse.
The former president and his family headed to their idyllic country bolthole on the Island for seven out of the eight years he was in office. It was snapped up by the couple in December 2019 for $3milllion less than the original asking price, and after lots of renovations, the pad was party ready!
READ: Inside Sasha Obama's living arrangement at college in LA
MORE: Michelle and Barack Obama's vast living room inside $8. 1million home is gorgeous
The property's listing on LandVest also reveals the family's vacation home also offers direct access to the pond, and includes a boat house situated on a private beach front. It's the ultimate place for the Obamas to enjoy watersports, an activity the former POTUS is extremely fond of.
The Obamas' Washington home
The Obamas also own an $8.1million home in the exclusive Kalorama neighbourhood, just five minutes away from The White House in Washington D.C. The property has frequently appeared in Michelle Obama's Instagram posts.
Barack and Michelle made the decision to stay in Washington after his presidency so that their youngest daughter Sasha could complete her high school education. They bought a nine-bedroom Tudor-style mansion that spans 8,500-square-feet and sits on a quarter-acre of land.
Earlier this month, Michelle took to Instagram to share a beautiful black and white portrait of herself reclining in an armchair at her luxurious Washington, D. C. home with her 52million social media followers. The 58-year-old revealed some rarely-seen family photos too!
© Photo: InstagramMichelle shared a glimpse of her treasured family photos
The former US President also offered up a rare look into his beautiful family home when he addressed his 33.9million followers about his book. He sat on a salmon pink couch with a striped pattern, and this colourful sofa could not be further from the minimalist cream ones that Barack had within the walls of the White House.
Barack Obama showed off his relaxed sofa on Instagram
Sasha is even lucky enough to have her own suite in the house, complete with a separate living area. Michelle opened up about her daughter's room during an interview on Ellen in 2018, telling host Ellen DeGeneres: "Sasha actually killed in this house. She has a two-room suite, it's all decked out. She has like a living room area and a bedroom. "
Michelle and Barack Obama live together in Washington
What's more, Sasha even designed it herself. While Sasha has the best deal in the room department, her dad didn't get quite so lucky. "He's got the smallest room for his office. So he's really hating on her," Michelle joked.
MORE: Michelle Obama unveils incredible room at family home
SEE: Tyler Perry's epic $18m LA mansion Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fled to - inside
We've recently been given a glimpse in what appears to be the family home as Michelle has been recording her podcast, Becoming. One Instagram photo shows Michelle and Barack sitting together in their living room, which has high ceilings with white wooden floors, one suede armchair, and another patterned armchair. There's also a black glossy leather sofa seen in the background, as well as a large flat-screen TV.
The family home also has a rooftop terrace
Another social media post revealed a beautiful rooftop terrace, which overlooks their neighbourhood and has been furnished with sofas and an outdoor dining table.
Like this story? Sign up to our HELLO! newsletters to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
Barack Obama and his wife Michelle bought a mansion in a prestigious resort
Style
close
100%
Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle bought a $11.75 million mansion in a prestigious resort. The 650 square meter house has seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, multiple fireplaces and a swimming pool. This is the second property the couple have bought since Obama's presidency ended, having previously purchased a $8. 1 million Washington mansion.0005
Last week it became known that former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle bought an estate on the island of Martha's Vineyard - a resort town in Massachusetts, located south of the famous Cape Cod, a favorite vacation spot for American presidents and celebrities. Mansion with an area of 650 sq. m cost the family of the former head of state $ 11.75 million - this information was confirmed by People. In total, the area of the estate bought by Barack Obama and his wife is 12 hectares.
According to the local Vineyard Gazette, the mansion, now owned by the former president and his wife, was the home of Barack Obama's family. The oceanfront home has seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, multiple fireplaces, a two-car garage, a swimming pool and a summer house. The mansion was built in 2001, and previously belonged to Wycliff Gruzbek, the owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team.
According to TMZ, the house was listed for sale at a higher price - it was sold for $ 14. 85 million. However, when he first began looking for a buyer - in 2015 - he cost almost twice the amount paid in the end presidential couple: its price was $22.5 million.
At Martha's Vineyard, Barack Obama's family spent seven of eight summer vacations during the entire time the head of the family occupied the Oval Office - only in 2012 the President, his wife and children did not come there, because Obama was focused on the campaign, getting re-elected for a second term. This is a popular vacation spot for wealthy Americans who are attracted by a pleasant climate - in summer the temperature here does not exceed 32 degrees, fresh air blows from the Atlantic Ocean, and snow-white beaches, on one of which, by the way, Steven Spielberg filmed his "Jaws", dispose to measured walks.
US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea also liked to relax at Martha's Vineyard. In the US, this place is considered a favorite resort of adherents of the Democratic Party. By the way, it was on this island that the famous incident of 1969 took place, when Senator Ted Kennedy, moving to Chappaquiddick Island after a party of Democratic supporters and driving one of the girls present there named Mary Kopeshi, lost control and collapsed from the bridge into the river. Due to the fact that he did not help Mary Kopeshi, who was stuck in a car under water, at the wrong time, she died.
Since Barack Obama's term ended, the Martha's Vineyard mansion is the second property his family has purchased. In June 2017, it became known that the family of the 44th President of the United States purchased a house in the prestigious Kalorama district of Washington. The mansion with eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms cost the couple $ 8.1 million. The building was much older than the new house of the former president - it was built in 1921, although it was renovated in 2011.
The fact that Barack and Michelle Obama make such expensive purchases did not cause a stir in the American press - it is known that after they left the White House, they earn quite decently.
For example, Michelle Obama's book Becoming, according to People, has sold 11 million copies - according to Fox News, the former first lady also received $ 65 million for it. In addition, according to the same publication, Michelle Obama receives high fees for speaking at events - they amount to $ 225 thousand. Now the state of the spouses is estimated at $ 135 million.
Subscribe to Gazeta.Ru in News, Zen and Telegram.
To report a bug, highlight text and press Ctrl+Enter
News
Zen
Telegram
Picture of the day
Military operation in Ukraine. Day 402
Online broadcast of the special military operation in Ukraine — Day 402
Satellites, drones, explosives: Zelensky imposed sanctions against Russian factories and businessmen
Zelensky imposed sanctions against 225 enterprises from Russia for the production of metal, drones, satellites and explosives
The governor of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was sent under house arrest. Fights started near the monastery
Pavel, the abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, said that he was placed under house arrest
Shadayev: changes at the State Services are not related to rumors about the allegedly impending mobilization
Zelensky spoke about an hour-long conversation with Macron
Military commissar Kotenok: Shoigu sent General Lapin and the commander of the Airborne Forces to special operation zone
Shot: a drone that crashed into a tree in the Tula region turned out to be a children's quadcopter
News and materials
In the Paris region, 30% of gas stations ran out of fuel
Reese Witherspoon first appeared in public after the announcement of a divorce
Sociologists found out why people have sex on the first date
Ministry of Emergency Situations: one person was injured in a fire at a poultry farm in the Bryansk region
The court approved the forced transfer of Metropolitan Pavel, who is in the hospital
Honda Stops Civic Type-R Sales Due to Poorly Welded Seats
Military-industrial complex enterprises will be reimbursed for the costs of moving employees
The leader of the Turkish Motherland Party Perincek accused the parliament of protecting the interests of NATO
Zelensky imposed sanctions against the wife and son of Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Medvedev
Former referee Fedotov: the referee was supposed to put a penalty on Akhmat's goal in the game with Spartak
Erdogan approved parliamentary ratification of Finland's application for NATO membership
The son of a billionaire from Yemen, 15 years later, confessed to being involved in the death of a student
Doctors disproved the myth about the benefits of alcohol and named a relatively harmless dose of alcohol
Swedish Foreign Ministry: Finland's membership in NATO will not be complete without Stockholm
Gloria Jeans
flagship store opened in Moscow at the site of H&M on TverskayaDziuba about the upcoming match with Zenit: we are not afraid of them
ESMC: magnitude 4. 3 earthquake hits near Pyatigorsk
Zelensky imposed sanctions against senators of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation from new regions
All news
“Strikes will be made on command posts, communication centers and warehouses”: how Ukraine will conduct a counteroffensive without F-16s
Expert Khodarenok told how the Armed Forces of Ukraine will attack without F-16s 12:00
"Driver to death immediately." A bus and a passenger car collided near Novosibirsk
11 people were injured in an accident with a bus near Novosibirsk
Dumas' new film adaptation, Space Challenge, hooligan dock about Elizabeth II: April movie premieres
What to watch in the cinema in April 2023
"I don't think it will happen this year. " US General praised Kyiv's plans to return Crimea
General Milli called the implementation of Ukraine's military plans in 2023 "very, very difficult"
“I am free, windy and amorous”: how 40-year-old Sergey Lazarev alone brings up two children
Sergey Lazarev explained why he does not allow children to play his songs
“I showed my mother my own dead body”: 6 stories about childhood pranks
Russians shared the most unfortunate jokes from their childhood
From Yeralash to Eurovision. Sergey Lazarev - 40
"So you can go kukuha." Why a popular streamer moved from Russia to Japan
Streamer Andrey "Dunduk" Lapotsky named the reasons for his move from Moscow to Tokyo "kennel"
"Spoke out in support of an unfriendly country. " The Ministry of Justice recognized Pokrovsky as a foreign agent
The updated list of foreign agents includes musician Maxim Pokrovsky
"Like everything pro-Russian." Podolyak called for "physical cleansing" of the UOC
Adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine Podolyak called the UOC "an abscess that needs to be cleaned up"
"Is Europe ready for a series of coffins?". Medvedev assessed the chances of introducing peacekeepers to Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban: EU ready to discuss sending peacekeepers to Ukraine
"In every woman there is a black, white and red essence." Interview with singer Anna Sedokova
Singer Anna Sedokova told what moments from her life she would include in a film about herself
"I have lost my homeland, I cannot lose another." Why do foreign mercenaries die in Ukraine
RIA Novosti: French mercenaries fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in Donbass
What Barack Obama does and where he lives The 44th President of the United States
Barack Obama left the White House in early 2017, handing over the reins of power to his successor, Donald Trump. And although the former US president is no longer involved in the political life of the country, he is very busy. The scope of his activities is extremely wide: Obama writes books, lectures, produces films, travels, and does charity work. And he got the opportunity to spend more time with his family.
“The future rewards those who stand their ground. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. There is no time to complain. I will stand my ground. "
Briefly about Obama
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States. The Americans elected him to this post twice. In total, he led the country for 8 years - from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017
Before sitting in the presidency, Obama was engaged in advocacy, taught at the University of Chicago and was elected three times as a senator from the state of Illinois. In 2008, he was nominated for the US presidential nomination from the Democratic Party and won the election, becoming the first African American in American history to head the White House.
Barack Obama made no secret of the fact that over the long years of his presidency he was very tired. In November 2016, when his term came to an end, he announced that he planned to take an extended vacation to rest. At the beginning of 2017, Obama really left politics, but continued to draw attention to his person, because a quiet and measured life is not for him.
What he is doing now
Back in 2011, during a conversation with a Hearst Group correspondent, Obama said: “I miss Sundays when I could just lazily get out of bed, not shave, put my daughters in the car and go to the supermarket with them , make yourself juice, wash your car, go for a walk.”
In January 2017, the 44th President of the United States resigned and was finally able to breathe easy, because he began a new life, radically different from the previous one.
January 20, 2017 Obama hands over presidential powers to Trump
Travel
A life away from big politics began for Obama with a holiday at a Palm Springs resort, where he went with his wife Michelle to relax and enjoy the gentle California sun. A few days later, the couple flew to Necker Island, owned by British billionaire Richard Branson. Here they spent their holidays away from prying eyes.
Since then, travel has become an important part of the former president's life. Over the past 5 years, he has visited Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Kenya, South Africa, Great Britain, Scotland, Germany, Italy as a tourist. On all trips he was invariably accompanied by his wife Michelle.
Vacation on Necker Island
Daily routine
Barack Obama no longer needs to get up at first light. He tries to sleep well and every morning communicates with his wife for at least half an hour. After that, the former head of state has breakfast and proceeds to the planned business.
With wife Michelle Obama
In his spare time, the ex-president enjoys watching movies, playing sports and listening to music. Like any modern person, social networks are not alien to him, in which he shares with subscribers the details of his private life, uploads playlists with his favorite musical compositions and expresses his own point of view on the events taking place in the country and the world.
Public speaking
Periodically, Obama gives lectures at universities, makes speeches at conferences and summits. He does this for free.
The cost of his public appearance starts from 400 thousand US dollars and corresponds to the salary he received as president. The politician donates most of the money he earns to charity.
Obama became the highest paid speaker among former American presidents. So, Bill Clinton earns 2 times less for one speech, and George W. Bush is paid from 100 to 175 thousand. Hillary Clinton came closest to Obama's earnings, having received 325 thousand for her appearance in front of the public in 2015 .dollars
Charity
The former head of the White House and his wife are the founders of the Obama Foundation, which brings together several smaller charitable organizations of various kinds. In 2021, when Barack Obama celebrated his 60th birthday, he asked his acquaintances and colleagues not to give him gifts, but to transfer the money they planned to spend to the account of the structure he founded.
Former president feeds homeless people
Contribution to education
Obama initiated the opening of his own presidential center in Chicago, the purpose of which is to unite talented young people and develop them into leaders. The ex-president chose the southern part of the city as the place for his offspring, where he once began his political career.
Construction of the Obama Presidential Center began in September 2021 and will take 5 years to complete. On its territory there will be a training center, a library and a museum.
Model of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago
Collaboration with Netflix
In May 2018, Barack and Michelle Obama entered into a partnership with streaming service Netflix to produce series, feature films, documentaries, jury and guest appearances, and podcasts. Work with the service has been going on for more than 4 years.
From time to time, Obama himself starred in Netflix projects. So, in the spring of 2022, the service presented the documentary program “Our Great Nationals Parks” (“Our Great National Parks”), in which the ex-president acted as the host. Together with the film crew, he visited national parks in different countries and told the audience about their features.
Filming Our Great National Parks
Memoirs
After the Obamas received a joint $65 million advance from Penguin Random House for their memoirs, the former president doesn't go a day without writing a few lines memories from your life.
Most of the money earned by the politician donates to charity.
Obama's first book of memoirs, The Promised Land, was released in 2021 and became an instant bestseller, selling about 1.7 million copies in the first week in the United States and other English-speaking countries.
Michel keeps up with her husband. Her memoirs are also in demand. Financial experts believe that royalties from books are today the main source of income for the politician's family.
The book of memoirs of the ex-president "Promised Land"
Where he lives
Barack Obama became the first American president after Woodrow Wilson who decided to stay in Washington after the end of his term.
In 2017, he bought a nine-bedroom house in the upscale metropolitan area of Kalorama, planning to live there until his youngest daughter, Sasha, graduates from the local high school.