Former President Barack Obama expressed surprise that he’s accumulated millions of dollars since leaving the White House, but urged those with wealth to give back because there are only so many nice things one can have in life.
“Right now I’m actually surprised by how much money I got,” Obama said Tuesday. “Let me tell you something, I don’t have half as much as most of these folks, or a tenth or a hundredth. There’s only so much you can eat, there’s so big a house you can have. There’s only so many nice trips you can take.”
“I mean, it’s enough,” he laughed.
Obama delivered the comments at the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg, South Africa, to commemorate the 100th birthday of the late anti-apartheid leader.
Obama said those with wealth don’t have to “take a vow of poverty” to pay more in taxes to be able to provide services for people who are less fortunate.
People who ask themselves “how can I give more, and more, and more?” show ambition and have influence, he said.
“What an amazing gift to be able to help people, not just yourself,” Obama continued.
“I’m actually surprised by how much money I got,” Obama says. “You don’t have to take a vow of poverty to say, ‘let me help out.’ What an amazing gift to be able to help people, not just yourself” #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/2Hp0TuyikQ
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) July 17, 2018
Obama and his wife, Michelle, signed a book deal worth $60 million in early 2017. They also inked a deal with Netflix in recent months to produce series and movies for the streaming service, but it is unknown how much the Obamas’ Netflix deal is worth.
