Who Is Dawit Eklund? All About Malia Obama's Rumored Boyfriend

Former first daughter Malia Obama has caught the media’s attention once again, and not because her father, Barack Obama, is campaigning for another shot at being president. Instead, the 24-year-old has been spotted on multiple occasions spending time with Dawit Eklund, 32, the man she is presumably dating.

As the daughter of a former president, it’s only natural to want to know more about the men she dates. So, let’s dive in.

It appears Obama has traded in her long-time British boyfriend Rory Farquharson for someone new and that would be Eklund. The Daily Mail captured Obama and Eklund spending a significant amount of time together and eventually photographed the two getting a little close and personal.

During their trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Obama and Eklund walked with arms around one another, only further confirming the rumors that the two were dating. So, who is Eklund and what does he do for a living?

Although Obama and Eklund both keep a rather low profile online, that doesn’t stop sources from doing some digging. Here’s what was uncovered. According to the Daily Mail, Eklund co-founded the record label 1432 R alongside Joyce Lim and Sami Yenigun. The record label produces Ethiopian music and is based in Washington, D.C.

As the co-founder of a record label and the son of a father who held a rather prominent government position, it’s safe to assume the rumors regarding Eklund’s net worth are true. While the figures haven't been confirmed yet, Obama’s rumored boyfriend is said to have a net worth of $1 million.

Eklund’s record label, 1432 R caught the attention of The Washington Post after it “stood out for its ethos and its ear.” From the time the label launched in 2014 up until October 2016, it released nine records that featured producers Mikael Seifu and Endeguena Mulu. In 2016, Eklund shared with The Washington Post that “Ethiopian music is super distinct.”

Eklund explained that his label has been able to catch the attention of listeners from around the world because of its ability to “draw from this traditional classical and traditional sound and [couple] it with electronic sounds.”

Dawit’s father, Jon Eklund, is a retired State Department officer who “worked at several US embassies in Africa,” the Daily Mail reports. His mother, Yeshi Eklun, is from Ethiopia. Although it isn’t clear what Yeshi did or currently does for a living, she reportedly “comes from a successful family of business people in Ethiopia.”

Eklund also has a sister, Sara Eklund, who was recognized by Vogue in 2019 as the woman behind Noble Cup, Ethiopia’s first brand of menstrual cups. While Sara also seems to keep a low profile online, her LinkedIn bio says she is “trying to make menstrual cups trend in Africa.”