• Clintons: Roughly $700,000–$1.3 million entering the White House (1992 campaign disclosures put them around $700k; later filings showed ranges up to about $1.6M). They left with substantial legal debts. Post-presidency, Forbes calculated they earned over $230 million (mainly 2001–2015) from speeches (Bill alone over $100 million), books, consulting, and related work. Current combined estimates commonly cited by sources like Celebrity Net Worth are around $120 million. (Note: Clinton Foundation assets are not personal net worth.) • Obamas: Commonly cited pre-presidency figure of about $1.3 million (some disclosures/OpenSecrets analyses put the household higher, around a few million by 2008, largely from book advances/royalties). They made roughly $20 million during his Senate and presidential years (mostly books, not the ~$400k salary). Post-office earnings include a reported ~$65 million joint memoir deal, Higher Ground Productions deals (Netflix etc.), speaking fees, and real estate. Current estimates are around $70 million (Forbes and others). Smith’s “over $200 million” reference for the Obamas appears to be an overstatement (or possibly referring to combined figures); the ~$70M number used in the post aligns better with mainstream estimates. Context The presidential salary itself did not produce these fortunes. The bulk came from post-office commercial activities that leverage fame, speaking ability, and personal stories—standard for many modern former presidents, though the scale here is large. Hillary Clinton has described leaving the White House “dead broke” (due to debts), which was true relative to their later wealth, even if they entered with a positive net worth by ordinary standards. In short: Smith said it, and the broad before/after wealth contrast is well-supported by public reporting and estimates. The precise current figures are estimates (net worth is not fully disclosed), and foundation assets should not be conflated with personal wealth.