{{short description|American businessman and officer (born 1970)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox Officeholder | name = Michael Haley | image = Michael Haley (11342932166) (cropped).jpg | caption = Haley in 2013 | office = First Gentleman of South Carolina | term_label = In role | governor = Nikki Haley | term_start = January 12, 2011 | term_end = January 24, 2017 | predecessor = Jenny Sanford (First Lady) | successor = Peggy McMaster (First Lady) | birth_name = William Michael Haley | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|02|07}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{marriage|Nikki Randhawa|1996}} | children = 2, including Nalin | education = Anderson University,<br>University of North Carolina, Charlotte (BBA) | allegiance = United States | branch = United States Army | unit = South Carolina Army National Guard | rank = Major | battles = War in Afghanistan }} '''William Michael Haley''' (born February 7, 1970)<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1490698277175578624|title=Happy Birthday to the best husband ...|last=Haley|first=Nikki|user=NikkiHaley|date=2022-02-07}}<br />{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-governor-southcarolina/south-carolinas-first-gent-deploying-to-afghanistan-idUSBRE86T1IR20120730/|title=South Carolina's first gent deploying to Afghanistan|last=McLeod|first=Harriet|date=2012-07-30|publisher=Reuters|quote=Michael Haley, 42 ...|access-date=2024-01-20}}</ref> is an American businessman and commissioned officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard who served as the first gentleman of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, the first to hold the position. Haley is the husband of Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, ambassador of the US to the United Nations, and candidate for President of the United States in the 2024 Republican Party primaries.
==Early life== Originally from Ohio, Haley entered a foster home when he was two and was adopted by Bill and Carole Haley when he was four. <ref>{{Cite book|last=Haley|first=Nikki|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1OCh4wACWEC&q=adopted|title=Can't Is Not an Option: My American Story|date=2012-04-03|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-101-56886-6|language=en}}</ref> His new father was a director of a steel-manufacturing plant, and his new mother taught school. <ref name="Dawsey" /> He is a graduate of Hilton Head Preparatory School<ref name="Lauderdale" /> and was an undergraduate at Anderson University<ref name="Burack">{{cite news|last1=Burack|first1=Emily|title=Who is Michael Haley, Nikki Haley's Husband?|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a42779860/who-is-nikki-haley-husband-michael-haley/|access-date=February 4, 2023|work=Town & Country Magazine|date=June 13, 2023}}</ref> before graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in business administration.<ref name="Jennings">{{cite news|last1=Jennings|first1=Natalie|title=Nikki Haley's husband departs for Afghan mission|agency=AP|newspaper=Washington Post|date=January 10, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Wilkinson">{{cite news|last1=Wilkinson|first1=Jeff|title=First gentleman Michael Haley to serve with Guard in Afghanistan|publisher=Spartanburg Herald–Journal|date=July 30, 2012}}</ref>
Haley was known as William or Bill until 1989 when he met his future wife, Nikki, who started calling him by his middle name, Michael.<ref>{{cite web |title=55 Things You Need to Know About Nikki Haley |website=Politico |date=February 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607024520/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/14/nikki-haley-2024-bio-what-you-need-to-know-00082742 |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |url-status=live |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/14/nikki-haley-2024-bio-what-you-need-to-know-00082742}}</ref>
==Career== Haley worked at Exotica International, an upscale men's and women's clothing store owned by his mother-in-law. He worked for eight years as a federal technician in various positions in human resources with the South Carolina Army National Guard.
He spends his time as an investor and partner in several companies and is a member of several boards and advisory boards.<ref name=Jennings/><ref name=Wilkinson/><ref name=HaleyEconomist>{{cite news|title=Haley's Comet|publisher=The Economist|date=January 16, 2016}}</ref>
On July 31, 2022, an investigation by ''The Wall Street Journal'' found that Michael Haley and John Clyburn, brother of U.S. Representative of South Carolina Jim Clyburn, were given shares in a business profiting from the newly approved Catawba Two Kings Casino. The business, Kings Mountain Equipment Supply, leased slot machines to the casino, thereby financially benefitting Haley.<ref>{{cite news |last=Guion |first=Payton |date=December 7, 2022 |title=Catawba Two Kings Casino violates US law, federal investigation finds|newspaper=Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article269691426.html |access-date=January 18, 2023}}</ref> Haley denied accusations of political kickbacks, saying his business consulted on physical and cybersecurity projects for the Catawba Casino project and was paid with a stake in the business.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maremont |first=Mark |date=July 31, 2022 |title=Slice of Profits From North Carolina Casino Goes to Relatives of Politicians |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/slice-of-profits-from-north-carolina-casino-goes-to-relatives-of-politicians-11659268801 |access-date=December 6, 2023}}</ref>
===Military service=== Haley is an officer with the South Carolina Army National Guard and specializes in security cooperation.<ref name="VOAHaley">{{cite news|title=Haley, Chosen to Rebut Obama's State of Union Speech, Is Rising Republican Star|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/governor-nikki-haley-republican-reponse-obama-state-of-the-union/3136498.html|access-date=February 25, 2016|publisher=Voice of America|date=January 12, 2016}}</ref>
In January 2012, Haley was deployed on a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan as a captain in the South Carolina Army National Guard.<ref name=Wilkinson/><ref name="LoweSpouse">{{cite news|last1=Lowe|first1=Rachael|title=May proclaimed 'Month of the Military Spouse'|url=http://www.thestate.com/news/local/military/article20538624.html|accessdate=February 25, 2016|publisher=The State|date=May 8, 2015}}</ref><ref name="BeamGuard">{{cite news|last1=Beam|first1=Adam|title=EXCLUSIVE Michael Haley: No better way to represent S.C. than in the Guard|url=http://www.thestate.com/news/local/military/article14431901.html#storylink=cpy|accessdate=February 25, 2016|publisher=The State|date=May 23, 2013}}</ref> The unit served in Helmand Province as an agribusiness development team helping Afghan farmers improve farming techniques and develop cash crops to replace opium poppies.<ref name=Schafer>{{cite news|last1=Schafer|first1=Susanne|title=S.C. Gov. Haley's husband deploys with Guard|url=http://archive.armytimes.com/article/20130110/NEWS02/301100305/S-C-Gov-Haley-s-husband-deploys-Guard|accessdate=January 18, 2016|agency=AP|publisher=Army Times|date=January 10, 2013}}</ref> Haley served as a liaison between the military and civilian authorities.<ref name="LowAfghanistan">{{cite news|last1=Low|first1=Kristen|title=First Gentleman of South Carolina, husband of Nikki Haley, to ship out to Afghanistan|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/gentleman-south-carolina-husband-nikki-haley-ship-afghanistan-article-1.1125574|accessdate=February 25, 2016|work=New York Daily News|date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> He is thought to have been the first spouse of a governor to serve on active duty in a war zone.<ref name=Wilkinson/><ref name=Singh>{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Simran|title=We live the American Dream|publisher=India Abroad|date=November 12, 2010}}</ref>
Marines serving with Haley in Helmand Province nicknamed him FGOSC (First Gentleman of South Carolina).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beam |first=Adam |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Michael Haley: No better way to represent S.C. than in the Guard |url=https://www.thestate.com/news/local/military/article14431901.html |website=The State}}</ref>
{{external media| float = left| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?528833-1/nikki-haleys-husband-deploys-africa-command Departure ceremony for the South Carolina Army National Guard prior to deployment to the U.S. Africa Command, June 17, 2023], C-SPAN}} Haley served an active duty deployment as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in the Horn of Africa during 2023–2024.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/politics/2023/06/18/nikki-haley-s-husband-begins-africa-deployment-as-she-campaigns-for-2024-gop-nomination?cid=share_clip|title= Nikki Haley's husband begins Africa deployment as she campaigns for 2024 GOP nomination|date= June 18, 2023|publisher= Spectrum News|access-date= February 4, 2026}}</ref>
===First Gentleman of South Carolina=== Since Haley is the first person to become first gentleman of South Carolina, and because there have only been fifteen first gentlemen in U.S. history, including the five men in that role as of 2015,<ref name="ThompsonFirst">{{cite news|last1=Thompson|first1=Krissah|title=What happens when a man takes over role of first lady?|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/life/2015/04/24/happens-man-takes-role-first-lady/26315515/|accessdate=February 25, 2016|agency=Washington Post|publisher=News Journal|date=April 24, 2015}}</ref> there was speculation about what his role would be.<ref name="BeamGuard"/><ref name="Funderberg">{{cite news|last1=Funderburg|first1=Greg|title=What Will SC's First, First Gentleman Do?|url=http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/14757206/what-will-scs-first-first-gentleman-do-11-03-2010|accessdate=February 25, 2016|publisher=Fox News|date=November 3, 2010}}</ref> Haley chaired the foundation that oversees the preservation and management of the South Carolina Governor's Mansion in Columbia.<ref name="ThompsonFirst"/><ref name="Funderberg"/>
===Stand for America=== Haley is listed as president of Stand for America, a policy and media organization that Nikki Haley started after leaving her position as UN ambassador. Internal Revenue Service paperwork from 2019 indicates that Michael Haley worked 40 hours per week at the New York-based organization and received no compensation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Form 990 (2019) |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/833203087/202043219349318129/full |website=Nonprofit Explorer |date=May 9, 2013 |publisher=ProPublica |access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref>
==Personal life== Haley and Nimarata Nikki Randhawa met in 1989 while he was attending Anderson University and she was attending nearby Clemson University.<ref name="Burack" /> They were married in 1996 in two ceremonies, a Sikh ceremony and a wedding at St. Andrew By-the-Sea United Methodist Church in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where Haley's parents, Carole and Bill Haley, reside.<ref name="Lauderdale">{{cite news |last1=Lauderdale |first1=David |title=Governor mixes business, pleasure at Heritage |url=http://www.lowcountrynewspapers.net/archive/node/172660 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |newspaper=The Island Packet |date=April 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127065911/http://www.lowcountrynewspapers.net/archive/node/172660 |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Dewan">{{cite news |last1=Dewan |first1=Shaila |title=All Her Life, Nikki Haley Was the Different One |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/us/politics/14haley.html |access-date=January 18, 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 13, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Dawsey">{{cite news |last1=Dawsey |first1=Josh |title=Nikki Haley's Hilton Head in-laws have been helping since campaign's onset |id={{ProQuest|503829333}} |agency=McClatchy-Tribune Business News |newspaper=The Island Packet |date=June 19, 2010}}</ref>
Michael and Nikki Haley have two children, including Nalin.<ref name="5facts">{{cite news |title=Nikki Haley's Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know |url=http://heavy.com/news/2016/02/nikki-haley-family-husband-michael-kids-children-parents-brothers-sister-marco-rubio-south-carolina-politics/ |first=Laura |last=Amato |work=Heavy.com |date=February 18, 2016 |access-date=January 27, 2017 |archive-date=December 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161206003755/http://heavy.com/news/2016/02/nikki-haley-family-husband-michael-kids-children-parents-brothers-sister-marco-rubio-south-carolina-politics/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{S-start}} {{S-hon}} {{S-bef|before=Jenny Sanford}} {{S-ttl|title=First Gentleman of South Carolina|years=2011–2017}} {{S-aft|after=Peggy McMaster<br>{{nowrap|''{{small|as First Lady of South Carolina}}''}}}} {{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haley, Michael}} Category:1970 births Category:Anderson University (South Carolina) alumni Category:First ladies and gentlemen of South Carolina Category:Living people Category:Nikki Haley Category:People associated with the 2024 United States presidential election Category:South Carolina National Guard personnel Category:National Guard (United States) officers Category:United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni