
Since leaving the White House in January 2017, Obama has significantly expanded his ventures in the entertainment industry. In May 2018, he and Michelle Obama signed a landmark deal with Netflix, establishing Higher Ground Productions. This production company quickly achieved success, notably winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2020 for their first film, American Factory, making Obama the first former president to win an Oscar through his company. Higher Ground has since diversified its content, partnering with Spotify for podcasts in 2021 and securing a multi-year deal with Audible for exclusive audio programming by June 2022.