Latest news with #Obamas
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Inside Barack Obama's $11.75 million residence on Martha's Vineyard
Source: X In 2020, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines with the purchase of a sprawling 28-acre waterfront estate on Martha's Vineyard—an island synonymous with American political royalty, celebrity hideaways, and New England luxury. The Obamas paid $11.75 million for the residence, nestled between Slough Cove and Turkeyland Cove, two areas popular with the powerful and the famous. Though the former First Couple continues to reside in Washington, D.C., their Massachusetts property has become their ideal summer refuge. For a family that spent nearly every August of Obama's presidency vacationing on the island, owning a piece of Martha's Vineyard was both sentimental and symbolic. A presidential purchase years in the making According to the Vineyard Gazette, the 6,892-square-foot home was officially recorded at $11.75 million in the Dukes County Registry of Deeds. The property had been on the market since 2015, originally listed for $22.5 million. Its price dropped twice in 2020—first to $16.25 million in June, and then to $14.85 million—before the Obamas closed the deal. The sale contributed around $235,000 to the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank, which collects a 2% fee on most real estate transactions. 'Money from the fees is used to buy conservation land and protect natural resources such as aquifers, scenic views, and farmland on the Vineyard,' the Gazette noted. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 인천 임플란트 특가! 33만원으로 건강한 치아 완성! [지금 알아보기] 플란치과 더 알아보기 Undo Designed for elegance, built for leisure The estate, designed by Taylor Lombardo Architects of San Francisco and built in 2001 by well-known local builder John Early, is a masterclass in understated coastal luxury. It features a seven-bedroom main house with eight and a half bathrooms, a large swimming pool, a two-car garage, and a detached barn. The home also includes a boathouse and deeded rights to a private beach. The Obamas' waterfront retreat sits near the Edgartown Great Pond and offers panoramic views and direct access to nature. The area has long been favored by celebrities and political families, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Spike Lee, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeffrey Kramer. Interiors made for hosting—and relaxing Inside, the home offers expansive living spaces with vaulted ceilings, exposed steel beams, and multiple stone fireplaces. The primary suite enjoys ocean views, while additional bedrooms and bathrooms allow space for friends and family to visit comfortably. The galleried living room features a focal-point stone fireplace and showcases neutral decor that makes the most of the island's natural light. White-paneled walls, cream-toned furnishings, and soft accents create an airy, coastal-inspired aesthetic. The expansive kitchen and dining room are designed for entertaining, offering elegant spaces that overlook the bay. As one of the home's most inviting features, a raised sundeck extends the living space outdoors—perfect for quiet mornings or sunset views. A deepening connection to Martha's vineyard The Obamas' relationship with the island dates back well before the purchase. During his presidency, Obama vacationed on Martha's Vineyard for seven of his eight summers in office. His connection to the island began even earlier, when he visited as a senator from Illinois. Now, as private citizens, the family continues to cherish the location. Though they've kept a relatively low profile since leaving the White House in 2017, the Obamas still occasionally appear in public, often supporting causes close to their hearts—such as health, education, and women's rights. In the meantime, their Martha's Vineyard residence offers the perfect balance of privacy, natural beauty, and presidential gravitas. Notably, while Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton spent many holidays on Martha's Vineyard, Barack Obama is the first former U.S. president to actually purchase a home on the island. Where are the Obamas now? In addition to their Massachusetts property, the Obamas continue to reside in Washington, D.C. Their home in the capital keeps them connected to the city where their public life began, but their Martha's Vineyard estate has become a beloved second home—especially suited to summer months and family downtime. As one of the most iconic residences on Martha's Vineyard today, the Obama home reflects not just the lifestyle of one of the world's most recognizable families, but also the enduring allure of the island itself. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Wall Street Journal
13-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
He Revolutionized Travel. Can Airbnb's Founder Redesign Your Entire Life?
FEW IDEAS in the history of tech have ever been as peculiar and become as popular as Airbnb. The company is based on such a profoundly weird concept that anyone who uses it tends to remember the first time they paid to sleep in a stranger's bed—including one person who rented someone else's house right after leaving the White House. When Barack Obama became president of the United States, the company was barely a speck on the map. By the time he left office in 2017, Airbnb was both a verb and noun. It had become such a ubiquitous part of American life that when he escaped Washington and took a trip to Hawaii, he found himself checking into an Airbnb instead of a hotel. The next time he Airbnb'd was a few years later, when the Obamas celebrated their wedding anniversary by retracing their honeymoon with a stop in Carmel, California.
Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Why Michelle Obama's in therapy
T he last time the Obamas went out for dinner, they looked like any other couple, but with more security and a bulletproof car. It was two weeks ago and they arrived at an Italian restaurant in Washington all smiles, to cheers from other customers. For months rumours had swirled that they were heading for divorce, rumours that ramped up after she failed to attend President Carter's funeral or President Trump's inauguration. Now she has revealed why, and it isn't because they've called in the lawyers. After years spent making choices as a wife, or a mother, or as first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama is having therapy so she can make choices for someone new: herself. 'I've finished a really hard thing in
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Michelle Obama Reveals She's In Therapy As She Gears Up For "Next Phase" In Life
Former First Lady Michelle Obama shared that she is seeking therapy to navigate the "next phase of her life." With her daughters grown, her public service work concluded, and her focus now on herself for the first time in years, she emphasised the importance of therapy in navigating this personal shift. Her comments follow speculation about a possible divorce from former President Barack Obama. "At this phase of my life, I'm in therapy right now because I'm transitioning, you know? I'm 60 years old, I finished a really hard thing in life with my family intact. I'm an empty nester. You know my girls are in — they've been launched. And now for the first time, as I've said before, every choice I'm making is completely mine," she said in an interview with the Jay Shetty Podcast. The former First Lady said a combination of being out of public service and her children being fully grown has left her in a situation where "every choice that I'm making is completely mine". "I now don't have the excuse of, 'Well, my kids need this,' or 'my husband needs that, ' or 'the country needs that.' So, how do I think about this next phase? Let me get some help," she added. Mrs Obama, a longtime advocate for therapy, compared it to getting a "tune-up." She explained that, having practiced therapy for years, she feels this is the ideal moment for it, as she transitions into a new phase of life, fully aware of her past experiences and current needs. She acknowledged that she was able to "unwind some old habits" and "sort through some old guilt" during therapy sessions. Notably, her absence from events such as President Donald Trump's second inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter earlier this year prompted speculation that the Obamas were not in good health. Mrs Obama revealed that stepping away from certain high-profile commitments was a deliberate choice rooted in self-care. "I get to look at my calendar, which I did this year, was a real big example of me, myself looking at something that I was supposed to do - you know, without naming names - and I chose to do what was best for me, not what I had to do, not what I thought other people wanted me to do," she said. The Obamas have been married for 32 years and are parents to two daughters.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Michelle Obama complains living in White House was expensive: 'You're paying for every bit of food you eat'
Michelle Obama said living in White House was costly and they had to pay for their food. Former first lady Michelle Obama got heavily trolled as a clip from her podcast, where she was seen complaining about the cost of living in the White House, went viral. In 'The Diary of a CEO' podcast, Michelle said though you don't have to pay for living in the White House, every bit of the food is on you -- prompting backlash from social media users on how out-of-touch she could be. 'How do you raise kids in the White House? It's dangerous,' Michelle Obama said. 'As the first black potential president, we knew there would be death threats … how would we afford it? Because it's expensive to live in the White House, as many people don't know.' 'I mean, much is not covered,' she continued. 'You're paying for every food, every bit of food that you eat, you know, you're not paying for housing and the staff in it … but everything, even travel, if you're not traveling with the president, if you're kids are coming on a Bright Star, which is the first lady's plane, we had to pay for their travel to be on the plane.' — NewDayForNJ (@NewDayForNJ) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Highest Earning College Majors—2025 Edition Best Paying Degrees | Search Ads Learn More Undo 'It is an expensive proposition, and you're running for two years and not earning an income, so all of that was in my mind, um, how would we manage this." People called out the entitlement and raised questions over how the net worth of the Obamas ballooned if they were struggling so much. "Barack earned $400K a year as president for eight years. The Obamas entered the White House with a net worth of $1.3 million. The Obamas are now worth around $70 million," one wrote. Right-wing commentator Megyn Kelly laughed off Michelle Obama's "struggle" and wondered how Donald Trump has been gracious to host so many people in the White House, and everyone finds it so easygoing staying at the Lincoln's bedroom and Trump asking them to have ice cream, contrary to how difficult Michelle Obama makes it look like.
