Former First Lady Michelle Obama raised nearly $750,000 on Monday for an hour-long speech at a technology fair in the southern German city of Munich, DailyMail.com has learned.
The 59-year-old received the eye-watering check for speaking at a start-up event held on the sidelines of the annual Oktoberfest beer festival, two sources close to the conference organizers said.
According to the event’s webpage, the ex-lawyer would speak to around 5,000 attendees about how to “overcome self-doubt while discussing the importance of inclusivity and diversity.”
The Harvard graduate will be paid 700,000 euros for her performance at the three-day love-in for European entrepreneurs, which is roughly the equivalent of $741,000.
Organizers said Mrs. Obama was “at the top of the list” of people who wanted to see the participants participate “year after year.”
Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the opening ceremony of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, August 28, 2023
Organizers said Mrs. Obama was “at the top of the list” of people who wanted to see the participants participate “year after year.”
The 59-year-old was speaking at a start-up event held on the sidelines of the annual Oktoberfest beer festival
“They really went out of their way 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.”
That amount 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.
Her fellow speakers include Oliver Kahn, a former German football star turned entrepreneur.
Michelle Obama served as 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 floated in recent months as a possible alternative candidate to 80-year-old Joe Biden if he decides to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race over concerns about his cognitive skills.
Democratic Party leaders fear Biden could ultimately lose to resurgent Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
Even Biden-bashing Texas Senator Ted Cruz believes Obama is preparing to run, despite her denials.
“This is the scenario that I think is perhaps the most likely and most dangerous,” he said on his podcast. “In August 2024, the Democratic kingmakers will throw Joe Biden overboard and parachute in Michelle Obama.”
The Harvard graduate is paid 700,000 euros for her performance at the three-day love-in for European entrepreneurs
President Barack Obama at the start of his term in the White House with daughter Malia Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha Obama in the Green Room of the White House, 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 broad support among the American people, and during her time in the White House, the former first lady consistently received sky-high approval ratings, according to Gallup.
In a recent YouGov poll, 77 percent of people said they still had a favorable opinion of her, compared to just 15 percent who had an unfavorable 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 office, a damning DailyMail.com poll shows. June.
Former President Barack Obama also spoke at the same forum in Munich just three years ago in a keynote address that focused on “entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills.”
However, his compensation for that appearance was never disclosed, but he was paid almost $700,000 for two speeches in Australia earlier this year.
Former US President Barack Obama speaks during the opening of the Bits & Pretzels meeting on September 29, 2019 in Munich
Upon leaving the White House, the ex-presidential couple, who have been married since 1992, have focused on boosting their earning power through lucrative speaking engagements and a $65 million publishing deal with Penguin for their 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 organized a six-city U.S. tour for her recent book, The Light We Carry, in which she explained to readers the habits and practices, attitudes and beliefs she uses to overcome her fears.
The mother of two receives a security alert from the Secret Service when she travels domestically or abroad at the expense of the American taxpayer.
It’s thanks in part to a law President Obama introduced in 2013 that restored lifetime protections for former presidential spouses and their family members.
That piece of legislation overturned a 1994 statute that had limited Secret Service protection to a maximum of 10 years for presidents who took office after January 1, 1997.
DailyMail.com has contacted a spokesperson for Michelle Obama for comment.