Legendary talk show host, actress and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey will be the keynote speaker at The Economic Club of Grand Rapids’ 35th annual dinner on May 28 at DeVos Place, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business has learned.
The celebrity, who has served as a household staple for millions of people over the years by way of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” is the latest in a list of high-profile celebrities, athletes and politicians who have spoken at the Econ Club’s annual dinner over the years. Past speakers include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2013), former Presidents George W. Bush (2010) and Bill Clinton (2007), and most recently, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady in 2023.
An Econ Club representative did not respond to a request for comment, although multiple sources with knowledge of the event confirmed Winfrey’s booking. The event is open only to Econ Club members and their guests.
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Winfrey is no stranger to Grand Rapids, having led a discussion for a “60 Minutes” segment in the city in 2017 featuring 14 West Michigan residents with a range of political views. She returned to Grand Rapids the following January to follow up with the 14 people who were part of the political roundtable discussion at Mitten Brewing Co., where they gathered and spent three hours talking over pizza and beer, according to reporting from MLive.
The discussion was meant to highlight the political divide in the country, similar to some of the controversial topics featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” throughout the 25 years it was on the air from 1986 to 2011. Some of the show’s 4,561 episodes featured extravagant giveaways to studio audience members and celebrity interviews, but they also frequently touched on more serious societal issues like sexual abuse, racism, world conflict, and the AIDS epidemic.
Winfrey’s most recent project is serving as one of the producers for the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple” movie. Winfrey also starred in the original 1985 version of the film.
Winfrey’s speaking fee at events is estimated to range from $1.5 million to $2.5 million, according to Anthem Talent Agency.
According to the Econ Club’s most recent tax filings with the IRS, the organization generated $1.2 million and $2.2 million in revenue from its annual dinner the past two years.
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