Meet Mellody Hobson, George Lucas’ influential wife: the Princeton grad sits on the board of Starbucks, champions her pals Alicia Keys and Lewis Hamilton, and has a child with the Star Wars director
- Hobson is just as much of a force to be reckoned with as her movie director husband, George Lucas, who was recently awarded an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes
- The 55-year-old Chicago native helped grow her company Ariel Investments’ assets to US$15 billion and sits on the boards of Starbucks and JPMorgan Chase – oh, and she has a book coming out this year
George Lucas celebrated his 80th birthday last month – and can claim to be one of the richest film directors in the world.
On May 25, Lucas was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival’s closing ceremony. The award was presented by legendary filmmaker and Lucas’ lifelong pal Francis Ford Coppola. According to People magazine, Lucas said of the award that “it’s always great to be recognised”.
By his side on the red carpet for the event was his wife of 11 years, Mellody Hobson. So what do we know about her?
What is Mellody Hobson’s background?
In 1991, Hobson graduated from the former Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy at Princeton University. Twenty-eight years later, she was awarded the university’s highest honour, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented annually to a Princeton graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service. In October 2020, Hobson donated money to build Hobson College at her alma mater, the first residential college named after a Black woman, per Forbes.
According to Ariel Investments’ website, the Princeton graduate has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College and the University of Southern California. In 2015, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world, and in 2020, she ranked No. 94 on Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in the World list.