US News

Obama earns 4.2 million dollars in 2007

Apr 17, 2008, 0:22 GMT

Washington - Barack Obama on Wednesday reported earnings of more than 4 million dollars in 2007 as sales of his two books jumped after he launched his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination last year.

Obama and his wife Michelle earned 4.24 million dollars over the year, according to the couple's tax return released by Obama's campaign.

The Illinois senator and his wife reported a little more than 260,000 dollars in salary, with the rest coming mostly from royalties of his books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope.

Since 2000, the Obamas have now reported earnings of about 8 million dollars, also largely the result of Obama's book sales.

The couple gave just over 240,000 dollars to charity in 2007, including 26,270 dollars to the Trinity United Church of Christ that has this year become the source of controversy over its former pastor Jeremiah Wright Jr's incendiary comments on race.

Obama's rival for the nomination, Hillary Clinton, and her husband and former president Bill Clinton, earlier this month reported earning 109 million dollars since 2000.

About two thirds of the income came from the former president's books and speeches given since leaving office in 2001. Hillary Clinton contributed 10 million dollars through her own earnings from two books, It Takes a Village and Living History.