But the newspaper reported it was part of an effort by top Obama loyalists inside and outside the White House to recruit donors for the post-presidential activities.
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As President Barack Obama makes plans for life after the White House, he’s calling on heavy hitters from a broad range of industries, from author Malcolm Gladwell to Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, a St. Louis native.
The $1 billion would be used to establish a “digital first” presidential library with new modern technologies, and a global philanthropic foundation.
Among the largest donors were Chicago publisher Fred Eychaner, who gave $1 million, followed by Chicago hedge fund operator Michael Sacks and his wife, Cari, who gave $666,666.
The Times story speculates that Obama’s visit to a federal prison and his eulogy for one of the Charleston church massacre victims indicate the president will focus on criminal justice reform and race relations.
The heart of the post-presidential planning is Obama’s own outreach to eclectic, often extraordinarily rich groups of people.
The president was reportedly left “spellbound” by the director after holding a screening of Lincoln, with Daniel Day-Lewis at the White House in 2012. “He loves those sessions”, says one adviser.
In a story over the weekend, the Times said that Obama met most recently with Spielberg in June, at a Beverly Hills hotel dinner. The president asked if social networks could improve the way society confronted problems. Ideally, one adviser said, a person in Kenya could put on a pair of virtual reality goggles and be transported to Mr. Obama’s 2008 speech on race in Philadelphia. He may also pursue diplomatic endeavors with Iran and Cuba.
In an interview last year, Mr Obama was asked what he saw himself doing after his term was up. The president took more than 30 seconds to respond, in a manner that suggested he had not yet settled on a good answer.
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Last year, she co-founded the Latino Victory Project, a bi-partisan group seeking to raise millions for Latino candidates. “I’ll be on a beach somewhere drinking out of a coconut”.
