Inside Sasha And Malia Obama's Lavish Lifestyle
The world fell in love with Barack Obama's young daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama, when he announced his run for presidency in 2007. His family was already used to the political game at this point, as Obama had been acting as senator for Illinois for many years prior. But come 2008, he became America's 44th president and the first black president. Unsurprisingly, the Obama family's lives changed forever.
Sasha, Malia, Michelle, and Barack Obama went from a humble middle-class family living in Chicago to the most famous people in the country when they moved into the White House. Malia was 10 years old, while Sasha was just 7 (and became the youngest child to live in the enormous Washington, DC dwelling in nearly 50 years, since John F. Kennedy Jr). Barack Obama served two terms, between 2008 and 2016, so his daughters spent an enormous chunk of their lives as America's most popular children and grew up in the spotlight. Of course, the time came to leave the White House after eight years of nonstop cameras, political events, and posing as the president's perfect children.
Malia was grown and Sasha had just two years of high school left when the Obamas left the White House for the Kalorama neighborhood of DC. In the years since, the Obama sisters have gone in search of normality but have still maintained a particularly upscale lifestyle. Here's a look inside the lavish lives of Malia and Sasha today.
They're fashion icons
In the near-decade since their time at the White House, Malia and Sasha Obama have undergone head-turning transformations. From the little girls who used to sit in Barack and Michelle's laps to the young women they are today, they've matured and developed their own unique styles. Given that they've had the media's attention for a number of years, it didn't slip by the public's attention when the Obama sisters began developing their own unique styles, and they have since become total fashion icons.
Global outlets have coined their looks as chic, bougie boho, and cottagecore, as the sisters have been spotted wearing items from jorts to maxi dresses and pricier brands from Timberland to Chanel. Malia and Sasha have been photographed from one end of the country to the other, always dressing for a New York City aesthetic or an effortless California vibe. No matter where Malia and Sasha are spotted, they never look out of place, yet they stand out for their brave fashion choices.
Not only have the Obama sisters been keeping up with Generation Z trends, but they've also used their looks to send messages, as they know they will be photographed practically everywhere they go. In 2016, Malia was seen smoking weed at a music festival; knowing she would be spotted when she attended another festival that summer, she ironically wore a t-shirt with handwritten script that read, "Smoking kills," clearly poking fun at her critics.
Their boyfriends are no stranger to the spotlight
Just like most girls with overprotective parents, bringing a significant other home can be a whirlwind, and this is an area where Sasha and Malia Obama's lives are fairly normal. Speaking with Good Morning America, Michelle Obama described this stage of her daughters' lives and how Barack Obama is coping. "I think it's wonderful ... I want them to know what they want and who they are in a relationship. And that takes trying on some people," she explained. Michelle also remarked, "They were in high school. They went to prom. They've lived life. And [Barack has] learned how to be a concerned Black father, but not crazy."
When it comes to the boyfriends in question, having the spotlight on them is something they can relate to. Sasha was last known to be dating Clifton Powell Jr., a former basketball player for the University of California at Santa Barbara and son of actor Clifton Powell Sr. He is now working in the film industry and, with a famous father, hasn't shied away from the publicity that comes with dating an ex-president's daughter.
On the other hand, Malia dated Rory Farquharson, her Harvard classmate, in 2017. The couple seemed to be doing well and the Obamas even hosted Farquharson during lockdown, but in the summer of 2022, rumors arose that they had split. Malia had been seen several times with music producer Dawit Eklund, who also has familial ties to politics.
Secret Service followed them everywhere
There's something that seems quite lavish about having a team of guards follow you everywhere to ensure your safety, but as it turns out, Sasha and Malia Obama weren't fans of the Secret Service. In 2021, Barack Obama spoke on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," saying, "Them as teenagers and having Secret Service guys follow them when they were going out on dates ... has shut down their interest in public service." He joked that his daughters still have "PTSD" from the entire experience, so it was a less than ideal situation for the Obama sisters.
That said, very few teens get to bring their security guards with them to their summer job like Sasha did when she was 15 years old. She got a summer job, just like any average high school student, at a seafood restaurant called Nancy's. One of the servers at the restaurant told the Boston Herald, "She's been working downstairs at takeout. We were wondering why there were six people helping this girl, but then we found out who it was." The agents reportedly sat on the takeout benches and in a big SUV while Sasha completed her shift, and then they drove her home afterward.
Barack signed a law in 2013 that permitted Secret Service protection for ex-presidents for life, but it's only granted to their children until they are 16. While Malia and Sasha are no longer under protection, they'll have the privilege whenever they visit their parents.
Malia and Sasha moved to LA
After spending the majority of their lives on the East Coast, Malia and Sasha have officially uprooted and moved to sunny Los Angeles, California. Michelle Obama spoke on Today in 2022, where she professed her pride for the girls, saying, "The thing I love the most is that those two girls are each other's best friends ... to see them in that place where they're one another's support systems and they've got each other's backs is just ... the thing that a mother would want."
The Obama sisters have become remarkably close in recent years and even share an apartment. Michelle told Good Morning America about a time when she and Barack Obama visited Sasha and Malia's new home, and the girls had prepared snacks and drinks. She laughed as she explained how the girls insisted she used a coaster, saying, "They didn't care about the water marks on my table in the White House, but ooh, they got their coasters out." The sisters have been spotted frequently throughout the city, often with friends in tow, and they look happier than ever. Sasha currently attends the University of Southern California, where she met her boyfriend, and Malia is working on her impressive Hollywood career, so the girls are in the perfect city for this brand new chapter of their lives.
Malia now works in Hollywood
Before Malia Obama attended Harvard University, she took a gap year. During this time, as well as throughout college, she had a couple of internships, which included working on HBO's hit series "Girls." She also landed a production assistant gig with CBS, where she worked on the show "Extent." Malia eventually moved to Los Angeles, before Sasha Obama met her out there, and has since been working steadily towards her career in Hollywood.
Malia's first credited work has been on Donald Glover's Amazon Prime series, "Swarm," for which she has served as a writer for multiple episodes. Now that she has garnered significant attention, not just for her family name but for her creative work, Malia is officially on to bigger things. In April of 2023, it was announced that she would be partnering up again with Donald Glover, this time for her directorial debut.
Having just launched Gilga, Glover's production company, he decided that the first project would be a short film directed by Malia. He spoke with GQ about the conversation he had with the former president's daughter, saying, "The first thing we did was talk about the fact that she will only get to do this once. You're Obama's daughter. So if you make a bad film, it will follow you around." With such a prominent icon in the industry serving as her mentor, Malia is sure to go on to create incredible work and make a name for herself in Hollywood.
Celebrities have praised the sisters
Now that Sasha and Malia Obama are grown up and living their best lives in Los Angeles, they've caught the attention of many fellow celebrities. Malia Obama has, of course, been lucky enough to have Donald Glover take her under his wing, and he's sung her praises several times. Speaking with Vanity Fair in 2022, Glover joked, "We can't be easy on her just because she's the [former] president's daughter." He quipped, "Nah, she's very down to earth, and cool. So, it's not a problem at all. She has a lot of good ideas. She's great. She's just a regular person like everybody else." Glover's seal of approval likely meant a lot to Malia, and she isn't the only one to receive flattery from the stars.
Back when Sasha was 15 years old, everyone on the internet was questioning why she hadn't attended her father's farewell address. She had an obligation for school that stopped her from attending; however, this absence meant that when she did resurface a little later in Miami with a friend, everyone was quick to notice. And, because she was spotted wearing a hat from Drake's October's Very Own (OvO) line, he was quick to give her a shout out in a since-deleted Instagram post, with the caption, "Style Popper." The Obama sisters are young and learning their standing outside of DC, but they'll surely have many more opportunities to rub shoulders with Hollywood's elite in the future.