Fact check: This video was posted by @vigilant.fox on Threads.

Verdict: mostly true — Trust Score 65/100

The post accurately quotes Stephen A. Smith's statements regarding the net worth of the Clintons and Obamas after leaving office. The figures cited for their net worth before and after their presidencies are largely consistent with confirmed by 17 sources. However, the post's framing and Smith's commentary imply impropriety without fully explaining the legitimate sources of their post-presidency income, such as book deals and speaking engagements.

Platform
threads
Source author
vigilant.fox — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.threads.com/@vigilant.fox/post/DaBi-qJk_zA?xmt=AQG0WXvX4CPrxuU1cagpYaVPgEnNusFtwrLKz6ZfieZlAOo_k2uj2hQWUnrOPaQ2BK6JnMM
Verified on
June 26, 2026
Verification ID
2m8Nc6-BcUylcbIOIw24Yg

Original content reviewed

Platform: THREADS Author: @vigilant.fox --- Caption/Description --- Stephen A. Smith admits he can’t wrap his head around “how the hell” the Clintons and Obamas left office worth upwards of $100,000,000 after “serving” the American people. Clintons’ net worth before office: ~$1,300,000 Clintons’ net worth today: ~$120,000,000 Obamas’ net worth before office: ~$1,300,000 Obamas’ net worth today: ~$70,000,000 Quoted post: What a clown 🤡 ➡️👱🏻‍♂️ Clintons were famously in debt leaving the White House due to legal bills from Lewinsky & Whitewater. Each got book deals & commanded massive speaking fees — some from Wall Street came under scrutiny during Hillary’s 2008 run. ▶️🧑🏽‍🦱Obamas had biggest book deal in history ($65M) & a Netflix deal (≈$50M). All widely reported & easily researched. Stephen A. Smith discredits himself big-time with hack jobs like this. As a political commentator, he should already know it off hand. 🙄 ---VERIFICATION_SUMMARY--- Platform: THREADS Author: @vigilant.fox Topic / community tag: Stephen A Smith Person shown on screen (from video analysis): Stephen A. Smith --- HOW TO VERIFY THIS (provenance-first) --- 1. SOURCE-TRACE: take the MOST DISTINCTIVE, verbatim details above — exact unusual quotes, named people/places/objects — and web-search them TOGETHER as a combination, alongside the subject/person shown and the topic, to find the ORIGINAL source of this clip (an official channel, the uploader, a news report). A combination of distinctive phrases has essentially ONE source on the web. 2. JUDGE FROM PROVENANCE: If a credible source (official account, established news outlet) documents this exact clip/event, it is a REAL, documented event — verify accordingly, and use that source to confirm WHO is shown. If after searching NO credible source corroborates an extraordinary or specific claim, state it CANNOT BE VERIFIED (and for a sensational claim lean toward not-credible). Do NOT default to "verified" on tangential, generic fact

Claims analyzed (9)

  1. verified: This video was posted by @vigilant.fox on Threads.
    The content explicitly states it is from Threads, posted by @vigilant.fox, and the provided source URL confirms this. The text content and quoted figures are also found in other publications attributing them to The Vigilant Fox.
  2. verified: Stephen A. Smith admits he can’t wrap his head around “how the hell” the Clintons and Obamas left office worth upwards of $100,000,000 after “serving” the American people.
    Multiple news outlets and social media posts confirm Stephen A. Smith made these statements on his 'Straight Shooter' show on June 24, 2026.
  3. verified: Clintons’ net worth before office: ~$1,300,000
    Multiple sources indicate that Bill Clinton's net worth before entering office was around $1.3 million, or slightly less, with Hillary Clinton's earnings contributing to the family's financial stability.
  4. verified: Clintons’ net worth today: ~$120,000,000
    Multiple sources, including Newsweek and Parade, report the Clintons' current net worth to be around $120 million, accumulated primarily through speaking engagements, book deals, and investments after leaving office.
  5. verified: Obamas’ net worth before office: ~$1,300,000
    Sources consistently report that the Obamas' net worth was approximately $1.3 million when Barack Obama entered the White House, largely due to book royalties.
  6. verified: Obamas’ net worth today: ~$70,000,000
    Multiple sources, including Celebrity Net Worth, Newsweek, and Parade, estimate the Obamas' current net worth to be around $70 million, primarily from book deals, speaking engagements, and their production company.
  7. verified: Clintons were famously in debt leaving the White House due to legal bills from Lewinsky & Whitewater.
    Multiple sources confirm that the Clintons were in debt when they left the White House, largely due to legal fees from the Lewinsky and Whitewater scandals.
  8. verified: Each got book deals & commanded massive speaking fees — some from Wall Street came under scrutiny during Hillary’s 2008 run.
    Both Bill and Hillary Clinton secured lucrative book deals and commanded substantial speaking fees after leaving office, which contributed significantly to their increased net worth. Hillary Clinton's speaking fees, particularly those from Wall Street firms, did indeed draw scrutiny during her 2008 presidential campaign.
  9. verified: Obamas had biggest book deal in history ($65M) & a Netflix deal (≈$50M).
    The Obamas signed a lucrative book deal reportedly worth $60-65 million with Penguin Random House and a multi-year production deal with Netflix, which contributed significantly to their post-presidency wealth.

Sources consulted (21)

Related verifications

AI-generated analysis. Not a substitute for professional fact-checking.