Barack and Michelle Obama are now the power couple that so many people look up to. When Barack Obama was president for eight years, he made history by being the first black president of the U.S. and he helped change people's lives with his wife and former first lady, Michelle Obama. They always work together to help people and have created a famous legacy together.
Even though they work together a lot, they publish their own books, so fans can read each of their stories from their perspective. All of their books have had huge success, especially their last two memoirs, Becoming and A Promised Land. They are both very supportive and proud of each other's accomplishments, but who exactly sold the most books? Let's see how many books Barack and Michelle have sold.
6 ‘A Promised Land’ Sold About 75,000 More Books Than ‘Becoming’ In The First Day
Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, was the fastest-selling book for a long time until her husband released his memoir. When Barack released his new book, A Promised Land, on November 17, 2020, he broke the record and took her spot. “Obama’s book may have been an anticipated title this year, but Michelle Obama’s Becoming was recognized as 2018’s fastest-selling book after selling 725,000 copies sold on the first day of publication. However, Obama assures his book, which was reported to have sold over 800,000 copies in its first day, sold ‘a tad more’ than the former first lady’s,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Even though Barack now has the fastest-selling book, Michelle is still proud of her husband’s new accomplishment.
5 ‘Becoming’ Has Sold 8 Million Copies Since 2018
Although Barack’s new memoir sold more copies on the first day, Michelle’s Becoming has sold more copies and made more money overall. It has sold about 5 million more copies than A Promised Land and is still selling thousands of copies today. According to AP News, “Crown announced Wednesday that sales have topped 3.3 million copies in the U.S. and Canada, within range of Bill Clinton’s My Life and George W. Bush’s Decision Points, both of which have sold between 3.5 million and 4 million… Obama still has to catch up to his wife, Michelle Obama, whose Becoming has sold more than 8 million copies in North America since coming out in 2018.”
4 ‘Dreams From My Father’ And ‘The Audacity of Hope’ Sold More Than 7 Million Copies
Michelle’s Becoming might have sold 8 million copies in the U.S. and more copies than A Promised Land, but Barack has sold millions of books in the past. Barack has three other books besides his new memoir and Michelle only wrote one book before she wrote Becoming. According to The Washington Post, “Michelle Obama’s Becoming has sold more than 10 million [14 million now] units worldwide… Those are astounding numbers that also happen to ensure she’s closing the gap with her husband, whose 1995 memoir Dreams From My Father and 2006 campaign book The Audacity of Hope have sold 7.5 million collectively in the U.S. and Canada. Not that it’s a competition or anything. (But if it was, Michelle’s victory would be all but assured.)”
3 Both Barack And Michelle Signed A Huge Two-Book Deal
Before the power couple published their new memoirs, they signed a deal that gave them a huge advance. The book sales were barely anything compared to the advance they received. “Interestingly, when the Obamas signed a two-book deal with Penguin Random House in 2017—reportedly in the $60 million range, ‘the highest advance ever paid in the history of book publishing,’ Bertelsmann SE’s chief executive Thomas Rabe told the Wall Street Journal last year—the success of the former first lady’s memoir seemed, to prognosticators, like a big question mark. Publisher’s Weekly called it a ‘gamble,’” according to The Washington Post. Obviously they were wrong about the success of the books and it was the right decision for the Obamas to make.
2 Barack And Michelle’s Daughters Aren’t One Of The Millions Who Read Their Books
Barack and Michelle have both sold millions of books and have reached millions of readers, especially in the past few years. But ironically, their daughters aren’t any of those readers. “Despite his book being a success, Obama laughed when he revealed that his daughters Sasha and Malia have no interest in reading A Promised Land… After they failed to read his first book after 10 years, Obama said he didn’t expect his daughters to read his new book until they’re 30 years old,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Sasha and Malia might not like reading their parents’ books, but they are still supportive of everything they do.
1 Barack’s Four Books Sold More Copies Than Michelle’s Two Books All Together (And Barack Is Already Planning A New Book)
Michelle’s last memoir is selling copies all the time and has reached 8 million readers so far, but her husband is still selling more copies of his books since he’s written more of them. “A Promised Land, the first of two planned volumes, covers Obama’s election in 2008 and much of his first term. No release date has been set for the second book. Previous works, written before he became president, include the million sellers Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope,” according to AP News. We’re not sure if Michelle is planning another book too, but if Barack does release a part two of A Promised Land, he’s definitely going to be in the lead for selling the most books. But Michelle probably won’t have a problem with that since she always supports her husband.
