The Obamas have turned their time in the White House into a permanent cash machine.
Their latest venture proves they’re more interested in building wealth than serving the country.
And Michelle Obama launched one money-making scheme that will leave you shaking your head.
Michelle Obama cashes in with fashion book and podcast series
Michelle Obama is set to release her new book "The Look" on November 4, with a companion six-part podcast series launching November 5 on Higher Ground’s "IMO" podcast.¹
The former First Lady will kick off the promotional tour at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with entertainer Tracee Ellis Ross.²
"The Look" focuses on Obama’s fashion choices during her White House years and throughout her public life.³
The podcast series will feature guests including Jane Fonda, model-activist Bethann Hardison, and designer Jenna Lyons.⁴
Higher Ground, the media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, made the announcement Thursday about the promotional campaign.⁵
This marks yet another revenue stream in the Obamas’ post-presidency business empire that has netted them over $100 million.
The Obama money machine keeps churning
Michelle Obama’s previous memoir "Becoming" has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and became one of the bestselling memoirs in history.⁶
Penguin Random House gave the Obamas a joint book deal worth a reported $65 million for their respective memoirs.⁷
But the books are just the beginning of how the Obamas have monetized their time in public service.
Higher Ground Productions signed a multiyear deal with Netflix in 2018, though the exact financial terms were never disclosed.⁸
The production company has since extended that partnership multiple times, with Higher Ground maintaining a first-look deal for all film and television projects.⁹
Industry analysts estimate Michelle Obama’s combined media ventures could exceed $200 million in value by 2026.¹⁰
The Obamas also signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Audible after ending their partnership with Spotify.¹¹
Compare that to previous presidential couples who wrote memoirs and then largely stepped away from the commercial spotlight.
The Obamas have turned public service into a permanent lifestyle brand with multiple revenue streams across publishing, streaming, podcasts, and production deals.
Michelle Obama skips political duties but shows up for book sales
The timing of this fashion book launch is particularly interesting given Michelle Obama’s recent pattern of behavior.
She was the only former First Lady who skipped both President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington, D.C. in January and President Donald Trump’s inauguration later that month.¹²
Her office claimed "scheduling conflicts" kept her in Hawaii during Carter’s funeral, though no explanation was given for missing Trump’s inauguration.¹³
During the 2024 campaign, Michelle Obama gave speeches attacking Trump and warning about threats to democracy alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.¹⁴
But when it came time to show up for ceremonial duties that all other former First Ladies attended, she was nowhere to be found.
Now she’s back in the spotlight to promote a book about her fashion choices and launch a companion podcast series with celebrity guests.
The pattern is clear – Michelle Obama shows up when there’s money to be made or a commercial venture to promote, but traditional First Lady responsibilities can apparently be skipped.
Her memoir "Becoming" tour sold out arenas across the country with tickets costing hundreds of dollars, managed by Live Nation like a rock concert.¹⁵
The tour included 12 initial venues that expanded to 33 cities after the overwhelming commercial demand.¹⁶
Cashing in on the brand they built in the White House
Here’s what the mainstream media won’t tell you about the Obama post-presidency business model.
They’re not writing memoirs and giving speeches like previous presidents – they’ve built a full-scale media empire designed to generate wealth for decades.
Look at how this works – the Netflix deal gives Higher Ground first dibs on everything they produce.¹⁷
That’s a guaranteed payday for years to come.
"Leave the World Behind" became Netflix’s most-watched film in the second half of 2023.¹⁸
People tune in because the Obama name is attached, not because Barack and Michelle know anything about making movies.
And that’s the real issue here – the Obamas walked into Hollywood with zero production experience.¹⁹
They got these deals because they used to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, not because anyone thought they’d discovered the next Spielberg.
The presidential pension already covers their bills – these massive media contracts are pure profit built on eight years in the White House.
The presidential pension already provides financial security – these deals are pure wealth accumulation.
Previous presidents like George W. Bush wrote memoirs that took several weeks to sell 2 million copies.²⁰
Bill Clinton’s "My Life" hit 1 million quickly but then slowed considerably.²¹
Hillary Clinton’s "Living History" took one month to sell 1 million copies.²²
Michelle Obama’s "Becoming" sold 2 million copies in just 15 days and kept climbing to over 18 million total worldwide.²³
That’s not just about writing a good book – that’s about a perfectly orchestrated commercial machine designed to maximize revenue from the Obama brand.
And now they’re back for another round with a fashion book, podcast series, and promotional tour across major venues.
The Obamas spent eight years in the White House building a brand they’re now aggressively monetizing across every possible platform.
They’ve discovered that being President and First Lady is far more lucrative after you leave office than while you’re actually serving the country.
¹ The Associated Press, "Michelle Obama to promote new book ‘The Look’ with podcast series," October 16, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Penguin Random House, "Former First Lady Michelle Obama to Publish THE LOOK With Crown Publishing Group," accessed October 16, 2025.
⁷ Will Ragatz, "Will Barack Obama’s Memoir Break Wife Michelle’s Record?," Newsweek, September 17, 2020.
⁸ Dave Roos, "Obamas Sign Deal With Netflix, Form ‘Higher Ground Productions’," NPR, May 22, 2018.
⁹ Jeff Sneider, "Netflix, Higher Ground Partners Barack & Michelle Obama Expand Film & TV Creative Collaboration," Deadline, June 18, 2024.
¹⁰ Stars and Money, "Michelle Obama’s Netflix Empire: Inside Her $100M Deal," February 25, 2025.
¹¹ Wikipedia, "Higher Ground Productions," accessed October 16, 2025.
¹² Michael Dorgan, "Michelle Obama to skip Trump inauguration, 11 days after missing Carter funeral," Fox News, January 14, 2025.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Emily Burack, "Why Michelle Obama Skipped Donald Trump’s Inauguration," Town & Country, January 20, 2025.
¹⁵ Samantha Kubota, "Sales for Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ hit 3 million," The Washington Post, December 12, 2018.
¹⁶ Wikipedia, "Becoming (book)," accessed October 16, 2025.
¹⁷ Jeff Sneider, "Netflix, Higher Ground Partners Barack & Michelle Obama Expand Film & TV Creative Collaboration," Deadline, June 18, 2024.
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ Christopher Hooton, "Netflix and the Obama Legacy," The Sundae, May 30, 2023.
²⁰ Marwa Eltagouri, "Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ Is the Best-Selling Book of 2018," Fortune, November 30, 2018.
²¹ Ibid.
²² Ibid.
²³ Penguin Random House, "Former First Lady Michelle Obama to Publish THE LOOK With Crown Publishing Group," accessed October 16, 2025.
