Obama Presidential Center Salaries Disclosed In New Tax Filings
As the long-delayed Obama Presidential Center barrels toward its long-awaited opening in Chicago, new federal tax filings are putting a spotlight on the people running the operation—and the hefty salaries some of them…
As the long-delayed Obama Presidential Center barrels toward its long-awaited opening in Chicago, new federal tax filings are putting a spotlight on the people running the operation—and the hefty salaries some of them are collecting along the way.
At the center of the scrutiny is Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett, one of former President Barack Obama’s closest longtime advisors. According to newly reviewed filings, Jarrett was paid about $740,000 in total compensation in 2024, placing her at the top of the pay scale among leaders of major presidential foundations.
The Obama Foundation is responsible for operating the massive 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center, an $850 million project rising on publicly owned parkland in Chicago’s Jackson Park. When it opens, the campus will include a museum, an athletic center, and a public library branch—though notably it will not function as a traditional presidential library overseen by the National Archives.
The filings show the organization’s payroll has ballooned over the past several years. Total salaries and benefits jumped from roughly $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024. During that same period, the foundation’s workforce expanded to 337 employees, while annual revenue climbed to nearly $210 million.
Jarrett’s compensation exceeds the reported pay of several other presidential foundation leaders. The George W. Bush Presidential Center reported CEO pay of about $661,000 in 2024, while leaders at the Carter Center and the Reagan Foundation typically earn in the $500,000 range. The Clinton Foundation’s most recent filings place its CEO compensation below $500,000.
Several other top earners at the Obama Foundation also have deep ties to the former president’s administration.
David Simas, who served as Obama’s White House political director, earned as much as $626,000 annually while leading the foundation from 2017 through 2020. Adewale Adeyemo, another former Obama administration official who later became deputy Treasury secretary under President Joe Biden, earned roughly $540,000 during his time as the foundation’s first president.
Two additional Obama-era insiders—Anne Filipic, a former White House public engagement official, and Christina Tchen, who served as chief of staff to Michelle Obama—each earned roughly $400,000 annually in senior roles. Michael Strautmanis, another former campaign and White House aide, has earned more than $300,000 per year.