Former first lady Michelle Obama raised nearly $750,000 for an hour-long speech at a technology trade fair in the southern German city of Munich on Monday, has learned.
The 59-year-old received the eye-popping check for speaking at a startup event on the sidelines of the annual Oktoberfest, two sources close to the conference organizers said.
According to the event’s website, the former lawyer was scheduled to speak to about 5,000 attendees about how to “overcome self-doubt while discussing the importance of inclusivity and diversity.”
For her appearance at the three-day love-in of European entrepreneurs, the Harvard graduate will receive 700,000 euros, the equivalent of around 741,000 US dollars.
Organizers said Mrs. Obama was “at the forefront” of people participants wanted to see attend “year after year.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at the opening ceremony of the US Open Tennis Championships on Monday, August 28, 2023
Organizers said Mrs. Obama was “at the forefront” of people participants wanted to see attend “year after year.”
The 59-year-old spoke at a start-up event on the sidelines of the annual Oktoberfest
“They really pulled out all the stops to get her,” said a person close to the team behind the annual Bits and Pretzels forum. “It’s one of the highest fees they’ve ever paid.”
This sum is almost double what Biden earns in a year as the current president of this country.
Axios previously reported that Michelle Obama could be booked for $200,000, while her husband cost $400,000.
Among her fellow speakers is Oliver Kahn, a former German soccer star turned entrepreneur.
The Bits & Pretzels conference lasts three days and includes founders of national and international companies sharing their success stories, as well as guest speakers such as Michelle Obama.
Michelle Obama was the First Lady of the United States from January 2009 to January 2017, when her husband Barack served two consecutive terms as commander in chief.
She has been considered in recent months as a possible alternative candidate to 80-year-old Joe Biden should he decide to withdraw from the 2024 presidential campaign due to concerns about his cognitive abilities.
The big names in the Democratic Party fear that Biden could ultimately lose to the resurgent GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
Even anti-Biden Texas Senator Ted Cruz believes Obama is preparing to run despite her denials.
“Here is the scenario that I think is the most likely and most dangerous,” he said on his podcast. “In August 2024, the Democratic kingmakers will dump Joe Biden and depose Michelle Obama.”
The Harvard graduate will receive 700,000 euros for her appearance at the three-day love-in of European entrepreneurs
President Barack Obama begins his term in office at the White House with daughter Malia Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha Obama in the Green Room of the White House on September 1, 2009
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama play tennis on the first day of the 2023 US Open tennis tournament
She enjoys widespread support among the American people and during her time in the White House, the former first lady consistently achieved sky-high approval ratings, according to Gallup.
In a recent YouGov poll, 77 percent of people said they still had a positive opinion of her, compared to just 15 percent who had a negative opinion.
And 71 percent of Americans and half of all Democrats say Biden is too old to be president, and most voters say they have been worse off since he took power, according to a damning poll in June.
Former President Barack Obama also spoke at the same Munich Forum just three years ago in a keynote speech that discussed “entrepreneurship and leadership.”
However, his fee for this appearance was never disclosed, but earlier this year he was paid almost $700,000 for two speeches in Australia.
Former US President Barack Obama speaks at the opening of the Bits & Pretzels meeting on September 29, 2019 in Munich
After leaving the White House, the ex-presidential couple, who have been married since 1992, focused on increasing their earning power through lucrative speaking engagements and a $65 million deal with Penguin for the publication of his memoirs.
Together they founded their joint production company “Higher Ground” and signed a multi-year “eight-figure” contract with streaming giant Netflix in 2018.
Last year, the former first lady staged a six-city tour of the United States for her latest volume, The Light We Carry, in which she explained to readers the habits and practices, attitudes and beliefs that she uses to overcome her fears.
At U.S. taxpayer expense, the mother of two receives Secret Service security every time she travels domestically or internationally.
This is thanks in part to legislation introduced by President Obama in 2013 that restored lifetime protections for former presidential spouses and their family members.
This law repealed a 1994 law that had limited Secret Service protection to a maximum of ten years for presidents who took office after January 1, 1997.
has reached out to a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama for comment.