Since leaving the White House, Former First Lady Michelle Obama has made absurd amounts of money from book sales, film production, and — of course — speaking gigs.
And the former first lady collected a jaw-dropping paycheck for a speech on Monday.
Michelle Obama made 700,000 euros for a one-hour speech about “Diversity and Inclusion” at the Bits & Pretzels festival in Munich, two festival insiders told DailyMail.com that day.
In U.S. dollars, that’s $741,000.
The festival has tried to attract startup entrepreneurs looking to hobnob with investors, and it serves as counter-programming to the German city’s annual Oktoberfest.
“Every year, we ask the Bits & Pretzels community which speakers they want to see next. Michelle Obama has topped the list year after year. So, we listened,” the festival organizers said on their website.
“Drawing on her experiences as an accomplished attorney, bestselling author, Grammy winner, loving wife and mother, and former First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Obama will encourage the audience to embrace their unique strengths and push past self-doubt while discussing the importance of inclusivity and diversity.”
High-profile politicians often collect hefty paychecks for their speaking gigs.
Plus, the speakers often set their own prices, and they tend to charge more for overseas gigs, according to Axios. For example, former President Bill Clinton raised his speaking fee to match that of former State Secretary Hillary Clinton, the outlet reported in 2017.
In April 2017, Michelle Obama was reportedly charging only $200,000 for the average speech, with former President Barack Obama charging $400,000.
“They really pulled out all the stops to get her,” a festival organizer told DailyMail.com. “It’s one of the highest fees that they have ever paid.”
The former first lady was by far the biggest name at the festival forum. She was joined by Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk and Vice Chancellor of Germany Robert Habeck.
The Horn editorial team