Novel Obamas

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama earned about $5.5 million in 2009 primarily from the proceeds of Obama’s best-selling books.

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama earned about $5.5 million in 2009 primarily from the proceeds of Obama’s best-selling books. The couple paid $1.79 million in federal income taxes, the White House said.

Obama’s joint tax return with First Lady Michelle Obama show the couple has become wealthier since he became president. Obama’s memoirs, Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope were New York Times best-sellers.