Ah, the Obama Presidential Center—once envisioned as a towering monument to legacy, now slowly turning into a monument to bureaucracy, ballooning costs, and, well… let’s call it “donor fatigue”.
Back in 2008, Barack Obama rode a wave of grassroots support into the White House, fueled by millions of $5 donations from hopeful Americans who believed in “change.” Fast forward to today, and some of those deep-pocketed donors who might have been expected to bankroll his $830 million presidential library are suddenly harder to find. Why? Well, it seems a few of them are feeling a bit, let’s say, “unappreciated”.
Here’s the deal: fundraising for the project started off strong. In 2022, Jeff Bezos and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky threw in $100 million “each”, pushing the year’s total past $311 million. But the following year? Donations took a nosedive—dropping more than 50% to $129 million. That’s the kind of dip that makes fundraisers sweat.
And while most of the media has been preoccupied with rumors of tension between Barack and Michelle—who haven’t been seen publicly together since December—the real story seems to be unfolding behind the scenes. Some of Obama’s would-be donors feel that back when he was climbing the political ladder, he didn’t exactly make a lot of friends in the high-dollar fundraising world.
According to one donor, “He’s arrogant. He didn’t help others when they were trying to fundraise, and so they’re not going to look out for the Obamas now.” In other words, there’s no “quid pro quo”—just a lot of people who feel like their past generosity wasn’t reciprocated.
And then there’s the issue of where the money “is” going. IRS filings reveal that in 2023 alone, more than $5 million was spent on “executive compensation,” with an additional $27 million shelled out for wages. Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama ally, reportedly pulled in a hefty $740,000 salary—despite the fact that the project is still nowhere near completion. That’s the kind of thing that makes donors raise an eyebrow (or close their checkbooks).
So far, the center has already taken longer to complete than nearly every other presidential library in modern history. It’s on track to take at least 3,100 days from the end of Obama’s presidency to its official opening—more than double the time it took for George W. Bush’s or Bill Clinton’s libraries to be built.
And that’s if everything stays on schedule, which, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly a sure bet. A $40 million lawsuit from a concrete contractor over alleged discriminatory practices isn’t helping speed things along.
Still, the Obama Foundation remains optimistic. A spokesperson insisted that they’re “building a world-class cultural institution” that has already raised over $1.5 billion to support both construction and leadership programs. The opening has now been pushed back to spring 2026—officially because the flowers will be in bloom. Unofficially? Well, let’s just say, the fundraising needs to catch up.
In the meantime, if you’ve got an extra $5 to spare, the donation page is still open. Every little bit helps.
