Article | Archive
A full decade after they bought the plot, the beachfront mansion that Barack and Michelle Obama built for themselves in Hawaii is just about ready for them to move in – if their marriage holds together.
Exclusive Daily Mail aerial photos show the lavish three-acre estate on Oahu, valued by the local tax assessor at over $18million, comprising three properties with a combined 11 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, two pools and two Jacuzzis.
Construction trucks that were seen rolling on to the site for years have stopped coming to the property and work is virtually done so the former First Couple can prepare to move in.
But now the question is whether an apparent rift in their 22-year marriage means Barack and Michelle are heading for divorce, with the possibility that the magnificent estate will have to be sold and the proceeds split between the couple.
Speculation that their marriage is on the rocks had reached a fever pitch in recent weeks amid reports from insiders.
'I have been hearing this rumor that the Obamas are getting a divorce from reputable people,' Meghan McCain said on her podcast in January. 'I'm not talking about TMZ. I'm not talking about Perez Hilton... I'm talking about like very serious journalists telling me that they're hearing that the Obama divorce rumors are true.'
Divorce talk began when Michelle, 61, decided against appearing with her husband at both Jimmy Carter's funeral and Donald Trump's inauguration.
The president's biographer David Garrow told Daily Mail that Michelle's intense loathing for Trump is likely why she skipped the funeral and inauguration and avoided crossing paths with him.
The couple has been actively quelling the split rumors. They shared an affectionate selfie on Valentine's Day on social media.
And Daily Mail has learned the couple recently returned to Hawaii and were spotted kayaking near their soon-to-be home.
The former First Lady wore a black one-piece bathing suit and sunglasses, while the former President, 63, opted for no shirt and a baseball cap, both showing off their toned muscles.
With all the buzz about Michelle's disappearance, she was believed to be hiding out in Hawaii.
Her office confirmed she was there on January 9.
Where exactly she stayed while in the Aloha State is not known. It was not their new compound, which was still awaiting a certificate of occupancy.
Daily Mail's exclusive photos show the finished, wood-paneled and white-roofed exterior, manicured yard lined with palm trees, and private access to a stunning beach in Waimānalo - a striking difference from previous photos of the construction site taken in February 2022.
Daily Mail published photos of Barack scowling while talking to construction workers at the property, little more than a shell covered in scaffolding at the time. It was the last time the Obamas were pictured there.
Corporate records obtained by Daily Mail suggest the sprawling property is shared by the Obamas and the family of Marty Nesbitt, a private equity entrepreneur, longtime Obama friend, and chairman of the Obama Foundation.
The former first couple are by far the most famous residents of Waimānalo, a town of 6,000 people sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Koʻolau Mountains.
The Kalania'ole Highway runs straight through the city with land to the north mainly owned by native Hawaiians, many of whom are farmers, while the coastline is dotted with plush homes facing out across the bay to the uninhabited islet of Mānana.
According to locals, the Obamas are never seen at the town's modest array of shops such as grocery store Bobby's and are yet to enjoy lunch at popular dining spot Keneke's which, on the day Daily Mail visited, was trumpeting offers that included a $12.99 Hawaiian plate lunch and a two-cheeseburgers-for-$10.99 deal.
'[Obama] is retired, he never comes in here,' sniffed one local store owner who asked not to be named.
'He probably would have when he was campaigning but not now. Their staff go out and collect their food.'
'He comes and he goes,' said Lawrence Akau, 63, who Daily Mail spoke to outside the town's Windward Washerette.
Akau's home is a stone's throw from Obama's mega-mansion and he told Daily Mail that the only signs he's in town are the traffic snarl-ups resulting from his four-car convoys and extra security.
'There's always more traffic when he's here,' he added.
Vegetable farmer and masseuse Jamie Sedeno, 38, is more enthusiastic about the former president's choice of home.
She told Daily Mail that she regards it as a positive thing that puts a spotlight on Waimānalo's many attractions, among them the Kaiona Beach Park where crystal clear sea laps a powdered sugar sand beach fringed with palm trees.
'President Obama being here brings good attention to Waimānalo,' she said. 'It's positive attention and that's a good thing.'
Plumber Chris Rhodes, 25, is less enthusiastic and says Obama living in town is 'neither positive nor negative' but marveled over the size of the 44th President's des res which he has seen being constructed over the last decade.
'It's huge,' he said. 'It's three properties and one of those is just for the security detail.'
He said he hadn't noticed huge amounts of disruption due to security convoys but said some locals had had problems accessing the beach since the Obamas arrived.
The Obama home butts directly on to Waimānalo Beach and overlooks the ancient Pāhonu Pond – an enclosure that juts 500 feet out into the Pacific and was used by native Hawaiian chieftains to raise turtles for their meat.
The pond is at the center of a local campaign to fix one of the walls which subsided during a storm and maintain it for future generations.
When Daily Mail visited recently, a security guard could be seen standing on the beach next to it, keeping a watchful eye on sunbathers from directly outside the Obama's back gate, decorated with surfboards.
Sedano said the proximity of the Pāhonu Pond to the former president's home worries her, particularly if problems arise during future construction work.
'One thing I'm not sure about is the fact his house is built on an ancient fishpond Hawaiians used to use,' she said.
'So far he hasn't moved the walls but I heard rumors he was going to. That is something I would be uncomfortable with.'
Restrictions on using the beach due to Obama's security detail is another issue for residents, with one, who asked to give her name only as Mal, saying that some locals had been deterred from using the beach.
'The lagoon, it's always been a spot for locals,' she said. 'I'm 60 and growing up, we always went there.
'Now the President has it, it's limited access for locals.'
Both Obama's main 7,485 sq ft house on the east lot and the second large home measuring 7,496 sq ft on the west lot have not yet passed their building code inspections, required before receiving a certificate of occupancy, according to Honolulu permit documents.
Daily Mail learned people have been seen swimming in the complex's pool, leaving locals to believe someone has been living in the house.
That prompted Hawaii Republican Party Chair Tamara McKay to question whether the couple are flouting local rules.
'It raises serious concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability in our state's permitting and enforcement processes,' she said.
'I believe all property owners, regardless of status or political affiliation, should be held to the same legal and regulatory standards.'
The Obamas and Nesbitts caused a controversy in 2020 when they managed to skirt usual permit restrictions to allow them to rebuild their sea wall around the property despite concerns of environmental damage to the surrounding coastline.
At the time, Marty Nesbitt told the Honolulu Star Advertiser that the development was 'consistent with and informed by the analysis of our consultants, and the laws, regulations and perspectives of the State of Hawaii.'
The old property bulldozed to make way for the Obamas' new mansions was previously the location of the fictional 'Robin's Nest' in the hit TV show Magnum P.I.
Lavish photos show Barack and Michelle Obama's new $18M Hawaii hideout they share with his closest friend... as divorce rumors reach fever pitch
DailyMail Exclusive. Published: 3 March 2025A full decade after they bought the plot, the beachfront mansion that Barack and Michelle Obama built for themselves in Hawaii is just about ready for them to move in – if their marriage holds together.
Exclusive Daily Mail aerial photos show the lavish three-acre estate on Oahu, valued by the local tax assessor at over $18million, comprising three properties with a combined 11 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, two pools and two Jacuzzis.
Construction trucks that were seen rolling on to the site for years have stopped coming to the property and work is virtually done so the former First Couple can prepare to move in.
But now the question is whether an apparent rift in their 22-year marriage means Barack and Michelle are heading for divorce, with the possibility that the magnificent estate will have to be sold and the proceeds split between the couple.
Speculation that their marriage is on the rocks had reached a fever pitch in recent weeks amid reports from insiders.
'I have been hearing this rumor that the Obamas are getting a divorce from reputable people,' Meghan McCain said on her podcast in January. 'I'm not talking about TMZ. I'm not talking about Perez Hilton... I'm talking about like very serious journalists telling me that they're hearing that the Obama divorce rumors are true.'
Divorce talk began when Michelle, 61, decided against appearing with her husband at both Jimmy Carter's funeral and Donald Trump's inauguration.
The president's biographer David Garrow told Daily Mail that Michelle's intense loathing for Trump is likely why she skipped the funeral and inauguration and avoided crossing paths with him.
The couple has been actively quelling the split rumors. They shared an affectionate selfie on Valentine's Day on social media.
And Daily Mail has learned the couple recently returned to Hawaii and were spotted kayaking near their soon-to-be home.
The former First Lady wore a black one-piece bathing suit and sunglasses, while the former President, 63, opted for no shirt and a baseball cap, both showing off their toned muscles.
With all the buzz about Michelle's disappearance, she was believed to be hiding out in Hawaii.
Her office confirmed she was there on January 9.
Where exactly she stayed while in the Aloha State is not known. It was not their new compound, which was still awaiting a certificate of occupancy.
Daily Mail's exclusive photos show the finished, wood-paneled and white-roofed exterior, manicured yard lined with palm trees, and private access to a stunning beach in Waimānalo - a striking difference from previous photos of the construction site taken in February 2022.
Daily Mail published photos of Barack scowling while talking to construction workers at the property, little more than a shell covered in scaffolding at the time. It was the last time the Obamas were pictured there.
Corporate records obtained by Daily Mail suggest the sprawling property is shared by the Obamas and the family of Marty Nesbitt, a private equity entrepreneur, longtime Obama friend, and chairman of the Obama Foundation.
The former first couple are by far the most famous residents of Waimānalo, a town of 6,000 people sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Koʻolau Mountains.
The Kalania'ole Highway runs straight through the city with land to the north mainly owned by native Hawaiians, many of whom are farmers, while the coastline is dotted with plush homes facing out across the bay to the uninhabited islet of Mānana.
According to locals, the Obamas are never seen at the town's modest array of shops such as grocery store Bobby's and are yet to enjoy lunch at popular dining spot Keneke's which, on the day Daily Mail visited, was trumpeting offers that included a $12.99 Hawaiian plate lunch and a two-cheeseburgers-for-$10.99 deal.
'[Obama] is retired, he never comes in here,' sniffed one local store owner who asked not to be named.
'He probably would have when he was campaigning but not now. Their staff go out and collect their food.'
'He comes and he goes,' said Lawrence Akau, 63, who Daily Mail spoke to outside the town's Windward Washerette.
Akau's home is a stone's throw from Obama's mega-mansion and he told Daily Mail that the only signs he's in town are the traffic snarl-ups resulting from his four-car convoys and extra security.
'There's always more traffic when he's here,' he added.
Vegetable farmer and masseuse Jamie Sedeno, 38, is more enthusiastic about the former president's choice of home.
She told Daily Mail that she regards it as a positive thing that puts a spotlight on Waimānalo's many attractions, among them the Kaiona Beach Park where crystal clear sea laps a powdered sugar sand beach fringed with palm trees.
'President Obama being here brings good attention to Waimānalo,' she said. 'It's positive attention and that's a good thing.'
Plumber Chris Rhodes, 25, is less enthusiastic and says Obama living in town is 'neither positive nor negative' but marveled over the size of the 44th President's des res which he has seen being constructed over the last decade.
'It's huge,' he said. 'It's three properties and one of those is just for the security detail.'
He said he hadn't noticed huge amounts of disruption due to security convoys but said some locals had had problems accessing the beach since the Obamas arrived.
The Obama home butts directly on to Waimānalo Beach and overlooks the ancient Pāhonu Pond – an enclosure that juts 500 feet out into the Pacific and was used by native Hawaiian chieftains to raise turtles for their meat.
The pond is at the center of a local campaign to fix one of the walls which subsided during a storm and maintain it for future generations.
When Daily Mail visited recently, a security guard could be seen standing on the beach next to it, keeping a watchful eye on sunbathers from directly outside the Obama's back gate, decorated with surfboards.
Sedano said the proximity of the Pāhonu Pond to the former president's home worries her, particularly if problems arise during future construction work.
'One thing I'm not sure about is the fact his house is built on an ancient fishpond Hawaiians used to use,' she said.
'So far he hasn't moved the walls but I heard rumors he was going to. That is something I would be uncomfortable with.'
Restrictions on using the beach due to Obama's security detail is another issue for residents, with one, who asked to give her name only as Mal, saying that some locals had been deterred from using the beach.
'The lagoon, it's always been a spot for locals,' she said. 'I'm 60 and growing up, we always went there.
'Now the President has it, it's limited access for locals.'
Both Obama's main 7,485 sq ft house on the east lot and the second large home measuring 7,496 sq ft on the west lot have not yet passed their building code inspections, required before receiving a certificate of occupancy, according to Honolulu permit documents.
Daily Mail learned people have been seen swimming in the complex's pool, leaving locals to believe someone has been living in the house.
That prompted Hawaii Republican Party Chair Tamara McKay to question whether the couple are flouting local rules.
'It raises serious concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability in our state's permitting and enforcement processes,' she said.
'I believe all property owners, regardless of status or political affiliation, should be held to the same legal and regulatory standards.'
The Obamas and Nesbitts caused a controversy in 2020 when they managed to skirt usual permit restrictions to allow them to rebuild their sea wall around the property despite concerns of environmental damage to the surrounding coastline.
At the time, Marty Nesbitt told the Honolulu Star Advertiser that the development was 'consistent with and informed by the analysis of our consultants, and the laws, regulations and perspectives of the State of Hawaii.'
The old property bulldozed to make way for the Obamas' new mansions was previously the location of the fictional 'Robin's Nest' in the hit TV show Magnum P.I.
