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Former President Barack Obama will donate his pair of Muhammad Ali autographed boxing gloves to his presidential library.
The Obama Foundation announced the donation in a statement Wednesday.
“Ali’s story was an inspiration to President Obama, who kept this gift of Ali-engraved red Everlast boxing gloves on display at the White House throughout his presidency,” the organization said.
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An aerial view shows the Obama Presidential Center under construction in Jackson Park in Chicago, where the private campus is being built on a public park. (Fox 32 Chicago)
“They recalled a quality the president most admired in Ali: ‘his unique ability to muster extraordinary strength and courage in the face of adversity, to weather the storm and never get lost.'”
American boxer Muhammad Ali, left, and British boxer Joe Bugner during a match in 1975. (GETTY)
After Ali’s death in 2016, Obama honored him as a man who “fought for what was right” and helped shape modern America. However, Obama did not attend Ali’s funeral due to a scheduling conflict.
The Obama Presidential Center has been the subject of controversy since its announcement in 2015. Challenges include lawsuits over the use of public lands, concerns about gentrification and community displacement on Chicago’s South Side and recent criticism over its architectural design and illegible text on a 225-foot museum tower.
A recent PK Press Club Digital investigation found that taxpayers are footing the bill for the increased costs of public infrastructure needed to support the project, and that no government agency can provide an accounting of the full public cost despite months of queries and FOIA requests.
The Obama Foundation, which is funding construction of the center, defended the project in a statement to PK Press Club Digital.
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An aerial view shows construction underway at the Barack Obama Presidential Center, August 20, 2025, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“The Obama Foundation is investing $850 million in private funding to build the Obama Presidential Center and give back to the community that made the Obama story possible,” said Emily Bittner, a foundation spokeswoman.
“After decades of underinvestment in South Chicago, OPC catalyzes investment, from public and private sources, to create economic opportunity for residents through jobs, housing, and public spaces and amenities.
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