Earlier this week, the President-Elect restated his love for the handheld email device, and reiterated how difficult he would find giving it up due to legal and security concerns.

Advisers have reportedly warned him that once he takes office, the risk that his emails could be hacked and used against him would be too great. Due to freedom of information laws, the Government could also be forced to disclose any messages he sends as president.

In an interview with CNBC, Mr Obama said: “They’re going to pry it out of my hands. This is a concern, I should add, not just of Secret Service, but also lawyers.”

Industry figures have told The New York Times that the publicity being generated by Mr Obama for RIM, the maker of the BlackBerry, is worth tens of millions of pounds.

Doug Shabelman, the president of Burns Entertainment, which brokers celebrity endorsement deals, said: “This would be almost the biggest endorsement deal in the history of endorsements.

“He’s consistently seen using it and consistently in the news arguing – and arguing with issues of national security and global welfare – how he absolutely needs this to function on a daily basis.”

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