With former US President Barack Obama set to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration alone, many have been wondering which property wife Michelle will stay holed up in throughout the historic event.
The couple, with four stunning homes to their name, have built a property empire worth $27million during their 32-year-long marriage.
The former first family still reside in Washington DC, in a stunning $8.1million mansion located in the Kalorama section of the capital.
The Obamas, estimated to be worth $70million, have been putting the finishing touches to a beachfront compound on the island of Oahu that includes two swimming pools – a fitting addition to a property empire that includes the mansion in Washington and a home in Chicago.
After Obama left office in 2017, the couple also picked up a property in the idyllic Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island.
The sprawling estate is the most expensive in the Obama’s empire at $12million, and is where she is believed to currently be staying after skipping a state funeral for Jimmy Carter in Washington last week.
The former first lady also confirmed she will not attend the presidential inauguration on Monday, amid swirling and unconfirmed rumors the pair could be heading for divorce.
There has been no official explanation for Michelle’s absence, sparking speculation online that there might be some other explanation as to why she’s not appearing alongside her husband, and staying six-hours away from the US capital in the couple’s $8.7million Hawaiian mansion.
Martha’s Vineyard
In 2020, the Obama’s put down permanent roots on the $12million mansion on Martha’s Vineyard, an island located between Slough Cove and Turkeyland Cove, Edgartown, Massachusetts.
The sprawling property, which sits on almost 30 acres of pristine land, offers the power couple a private retreat in a spot popular with politicians and celebrities.
The enormous estate features seven-bedrooms and nine bathrooms inside the 7000sqft main residence.
Outside the main house, there is 29 beachfront acres, a pool, chef’s kitchen, outdoor fireplace, and two guest wings.
Additionally, the estate includes a two-car garage, a detached barn, and a boathouse.
Perhaps most notably, the Obama’s enjoy private beach access with deeded rights, allowing them to embrace the island lifestyle fully.
The couple purchased the sprawling estate from Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck who had the property on the market for four years, first listing it in 2015 for $22.5million.
Hawaii
The Obamas purchased an enormous Hawaiian estate, nestled in the Native Hawaiian community of Waimanalo,on the island of Oahu, back in 2015 for $8.7million.
The property sits on three acres of beachfront land and was landscaped in 2022.
But environmentalists were not happy with the Obama’s construction project and allegedly found a loophole in the law to keep a seawall on the property.
The Hawaiian property was planned to become the primary home to the former president after his retirement.
In a recent report from the Enquirer, it was claimed Michelle would stand by her husband until his presidency ended when he would move back to Hawaii and she would stay in Washington.
Yet, more than a decade later, they’re still together – albeit she’s the one in Hawaii.
After skipping a state funeral for Jimmy Carter in Washington last week, Michelle has confirmed that she will not attend the presidential inauguration on Monday, leaving her husband to face the fanfare alone again.
A spokesman gave no reason for her absence, after explaining that she was unable to appear for Carter’s funeral because of a scheduling conflict.
It has since emerged that Michelle was on holiday in Hawaii without her husband.
In 2022, images of the former president showed him scowling as he spoke with workers who were constructing the beachfront compound.
Obama had his arms crossed the entire time the group were discussing the next steps in building the massive compound, while at one point he appeared to be gesturing as he pointed out things that presumably needed to be addressed.
Construction had been mired in controversy because the project used a planning loophole to retain a sea wall that was almost certainly causing beach erosion.
The developers ultimately built three homes on the site including two swimming pools and a security fence on the three-acre parcel of beachfront land.
Washington
Following Obama’s exit from the White House, the former president and former first lady purchased a 8,200-square-foot mansion located in the Kalorama section of the capital after buying the property for $8.1million.
The former first family remained in the DC home while their daughter, Sasha, completed her high school at Sidwell Friends.
After Obama left office on January 20, 2017, he and his family took up residence at the home which belonged at the time to Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary in the Clinton administration.
The home features separate dressing rooms and his and her bathrooms, entertaining space, and a tranquil garden.
It was built in 1928 and features eight bedrooms and nine-and-a-half bathrooms.
A spokesperson for the former president said at the time the decision to buy the home was an easy one to make.
‘Given that President and Mrs Obama will be in Washington for at least another two and a half years, it made sense for them to buy a home rather than continuing to rent property,’ the spokesman, Kevin Lewis, said in a statement.
The $8.1million purchase was the second largest for a home in Kalorama, according to a report from the Post at the time.
Chicago
In 2005, just as Barack’s political career was on the rise with his election into the Illinois State Senate, the Obamas paid $1.65 million for a mansion in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood.
The home features six bedrooms and six bathrooms spread across 6,243 square feet.
The house is heavily guarded, and not much is known about the interior spaces.
The Obamas still own this property, which is often visited by tourists, though it’s likely they haven’t spent much time there since Obama was elected into the White House in 2008.