What is new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s net worth and how tall is he?
The third UK PM this year has made headlines for his astonishing as well as his slight stature which has become the source of internet memes.
Rishi Sunak becomes the United Kingdom’s latest prime minister in what is turning out to be a very chaotic year in British politics. He follows hot on the heels of former PM Liz Truss who lasted just 50 days in office, the shortest term for a PM in history.
Sunak comes into the role in the midst of a serious financial crisis. He has said that “economic componence and stability at the heart of this government’s agenda”, warning that “will mean difficult decisions to come”. His party, the conservatives, have been in power since 2010 and have presided over huge cuts to public spending, record waiting times for hospitals, low growth and record inflation.
Sunak has come under fire for his well known extreme wealth. Political opponents have branded him “out of touch” and “living on another planet” when it comes to the hardships facing the general public.
How much is Rishi Sunak worth?
He became the first member of a British cabinet to be included in the Sunday Times richlist of the 100 richest people in the UK. Sunak and his wike Akshata Murthy have a combined fortune of £730 million ($838 million). This is around double the wealth of King Charles III.
The majority of Sunak’s money comes from his wife. She is the daughter of N. R. Narayana Murthy the founder of software giant Infosys. She owns 0.91 percent of the company which translates to £720 million of the couples wealth. She was at the centre of a row over tax paying as under law she does not have to pay UK tax despite being the spouse of a member of the British government and living mostly in the UK.
Sunak himself went to Winchester College before reading PPE at Oxford University, a common occurence for British prime ministers to have been a student at either of these schools. He was a professional investor and financier before entering politics.
How tall is the new prime minister?
Another question that has been on people’s minds and discussed on social media is the height of Rishi Sunak. According to GQ magazine he stands at 5 foot 6 inches (170 cm). While this makes him only two inches shorter than former PM Boris Johnson, his slight figure combined with his height has become the source of memes on Twitter over the last few days.
Of course there is plenty to criticise a party that has put the UK into its worst financial crisis in years but it is also worth looking at how politicans want to present themselves to the electorate.