Malia Obama has been photographed on numerous occasions with a man named Dawit Eklund, prompting rumors that he is her new boyfriend.
The duo have been spotted in both New York City and Los Angeles, deepening the hearsay that they are romantically involved after first being linked in July 2022.
So who is the man who may have won over former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s eldest daughter? Here’s everything you need to know.
He’s a record producer
Eklund co-founded record label 1432 R in 2014 with Joyce Lim and Sami Yenigun. The indie label, which is based out of Malia’s old stomping grounds of Washington, DC, specializes in experimental electronic music, according to its website.
“Their music seamlessly brings together house music grooves, the stutter of UK garage, an uneasy electronic ambience, and – perhaps most notably – Ethiopian folk music,” a 2016 Washington Post article said of 1432 R.
He’s from Ethiopia
Eklund hails from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where he was born to an Ethiopian mother and an American father, according to his Facebook. Given his dad’s career with the US government, the music producer has lived all over the world in places such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Kenya and Sudan.
Eklund’s father, John, was a longtime employee of the US Peace Corps, while his mother, Yeshi, was an entrepreneur.
He graduated from George Washington University
Eklund completed his high school education at an Ethiopian institute called the International Community School of Addis Ababa.
Following his matriculation, Eklund enrolled at and graduated from George Washington University in DC, where he studied international development in Africa.
He’s one of four
Eklund is one of four siblings. He has two sisters, Yodit and Sara, the latter of whom has made a name for herself by helping women throughout Africa.
Vogue published a feature on Sara in 2019 after she introduced menstrual cups to Ethiopia with brand Noble Cup.
“It starts by talking, sharing stories about periods. When we give out the cups, we encourage girls to give it a shot, but of course they’re scared,” she told the magazine.
“Maybe only a handful will try it at first, and that’s OK. The idea is that they will learn from each other, form new habits and dismantle the taboos together. I like to think of this as an activist movement that truly all women can be a part of, no matter where they are.”
It’s unknown whether the Obamas have met Eklund
While it’s unknown whether Malia has introduced her latest beau to her world-famous parents, Michelle previously revealed that she has met her daughters’ previous boyfriends over the years.
“They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now they’re bringing grown men home,” Michelle said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in April 2022.
“Before, it was just, like, pop bands. Now they have boyfriends and real lives and all that stuff. They have grown up right before our very eyes, and they are doing well.”
Malia’s younger sister, Sasha Obama, is currently dating commercial director Clifton Powell Jr.
