Where Rishi Sunak ranks among the richest world leaders today

The rich and powerful

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As well as wielding immense political power, many world leaders are also extremely wealthy. But any list of the richest leaders doesn't just feature the presidents and prime ministers of the world's wealthiest countries – it also includes the heads of some of the world's poorest nations.

From Rishi Sunak to Vladimir Putin, read on to find out who the world's richest leaders are today and discover how they amassed their wealth.

All dollar values in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro – $2 million (£1.6m)

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Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro may have one of the lowest salaries of any South American leader, but he's still estimated to have a fortune of around $2 million (£1.6m), although some have pegged his total fortune much higher. Presiding over a country hamstrung by hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages and power cuts, the socialist leader can certainly afford luxuries that are off limits to most Venezuelans.

Maduro began his working life as a bus driver before becoming a trade union leader and has led Venezuela since 2013. His time in office has been dogged by controversy, with his oil-rich country often finding itself isolated on the international stage and Maduro has faced allegations of corruption throughout his time in power.

Malaysia: Anwar Ibrahim – $2.4 million (£1.9m)

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Malaysia's prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has clamped down on government spending and even refused to use a Mercedes Benz limousine purchased by his predecessor, who's currently in prison on corruption charges. During his election campaign, he pledged not to take the prime minister's salary of about $17,000 (£13k) per month, highlighting that Malaysia's minimum wage was only $325 (£255) per month.

But there's still plenty of money for him to draw on elsewhere. Anwar declared $2.4 million (£1.9m) in assets in November 2022, hoping to force opposition candidates to do the same in the run-up to the elections. Cash and investments accounted for nearly $180,000 (£140k) of Anwar's assets, with the majority, $2.2m (£1.3m), comprising a house and three pieces of land.

The Philippines: Bongbong Marcos – $3.6 million (£2.8m)

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It’s uncertain how much President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator, is really worth. While he was elected in May 2022, the most recent public disclosure of his wealth dates to 2016 at 204 million pesos or nearly $3.6 million (£2.8m).

Other estimates suggest he could be worth up to $3.5 billion (£2.8bn). Marcos' father ruled the southeast Asian country for 20 years until his ouster in the 1980s, stealing as much as $13.5 billion (£10.6bn) from public coffers to fund a lavish lifestyle. The government has spent decades trying to recover the money, successfully seizing paintings, real estate, jewellery and designer shoes. However, most of it is still missing.

Singapore: Lawrence Wong – $5 million (£3.9m)

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Former minister for finance, Lawrence Wong became Singapore's fourth Prime Minister in May 2024, taking over from Lee Hsien Loong. Wong is not as rich as his predecessor – Lee Hsien Loong sits on the Board of Directors for the sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Limited and is believed to have a fortune of $51 million (£40m) – but is still worth a very respectable $5 million (£3.9m).

And that number is likely to rise; Singapore's head of government earns an annual salary of around S$2.2 million ($1.6m/£1.3m), making him one of the highest-paid world leaders.

Canada: Justin Trudeau – at least $5 million (£3.9m)

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was born into a wealthy political family, with his own father Pierre having served in the top job from 1968 to 1979 and again between 1980 and 1984.

In addition to his annual salary of CA$389,200 ($290k/£230k), Trudeau also has an inheritance from his father, which in 2013 was estimated to be about $1.2 million (£943k) in cash and investments. Before his time in public office, Trudeau also made $450,000 (£354k) a year from his public speaking business. His overall net worth has been estimated at between $5-$10 million (£3.9-£7.8m), a figure that's likely to grow significantly in the years to come.

USA: Joe Biden – $10 million (£7.9m)

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President Joe Biden took on America's top job in January 2021. Following his financial disclosures, his wealth was initially estimated at $8 million (£6.3m). This prompted some people to question why it wasn't higher, considering Biden was worth $2.5 million (£1.8m) in 2016, before earning $11.1 million (£9m) in 2017, $4.6 million (£3.6m) in 2018, $1 million (£786k) in 2019 and $630,000 (£495k) in 2020.

Forbes suggested that, even with tax which would have reached $7 million (£5.5m), charity donations totalling $1.3 million (£1m), reported household costs of $180,000 (£141k) and mortgage interest reaching $80,000 (£62k), his net worth should be higher.

Sure enough, the latest Forbes estimates place Biden's net worth at $10 million (£7.9m). But this recalculation isn't the result of business dealings or hidden wealth; rather, Biden is "getting richer by doing what a lot of 80-year-old Americans are doing: sitting on real estate". The President owns two Delaware homes currently valued at a combined $7 million (£5.5m), around $1.8 million (£1.4m) more than they were worth in 2021.

Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky – $20 million (£15.7m)

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Although the fortune of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his family was estimated to be $1.5 million (£1.2m) when he was inaugurated in May 2019, more recent reporting from Forbes suggests he's worth around $20 million (£15.7m).

Prior to serving as the country's sixth president, Zelensky was a noted actor, comedian and producer. Indeed, he was best known for starring in a satirical TV series Servant of the People, in which he played a history teacher who accidentally becomes the Ukrainian president. Zelensky also has an estimated 25% stake in the broadcasting group Kvartal, which he co-founded.

In 2020, he filed an asset declaration reporting $171,120 (£134,500) in royalties and a presidential salary of $12,218 (£9,600), amongst other income.

France: Emmanuel Macron – $31.5 million (£25m)

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After a stint in a media role, French president Emmanuel Macron became an investment banker for Rothschild & Cie Banque in 2008. Two years later he entered politics, working on the staff of President François Hollande. He leaned heavily on his banking money when he made the decision to set up his own political party to run for president. It paid off and he was elected in 2017.

Reports vary as to his net worth, but Spear's Magazine estimates it at $31.5 million (£25m).

Türkiye: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – $58 million (£46m)

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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan served as mayor of Istanbul and Türkiye's prime minister before being elected as the country's president in 2014. Despite maintaining enough support to stay in power, many have accused him of corruption and autocratic tendencies and the nation's currency, the Lira, has fallen to an all-time low leaving many households struggling financially.

Meanwhile, in July 2023, local media reported Erdoğan had increased his monthly salary by 39% from $3,829 (£3,010) to $5,360 (£4,215), which puts him on an annual salary of less than $65,000 (£51k).

However, Erdoğan's net worth was reported to be $58 million (£46m) in 2018, while more recent estimates vary wildly.

Kenya: William Ruto – $299 million (£235m)

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William Ruto became the president of Kenya in September 2022, succeeding Uhuru Kenyatta. Although he's not quite as rich as his predecessor, who reportedly has a net worth of $500 million (£435m), Ruto is still one of the wealthiest leaders in the world, with an estimated $299 million (£235m) to his name. Some sources even put his fortune at $450 million (£354m).

Ruto was deputy president from 2013 to 2022. He appears to have amassed the majority of his wealth through real estate. He reportedly owns the Weston Hotel in Nairobi, as well as hotels worth over $24 million (£20m) in Mombasa and Mara. He's also a shareholder in the Africa Merchant Assurance Company (AMACO). As president, Ruto's net worth is bolstered by a monthly salary that saw a 14% boost last summer to 1,546,875 shillings ($10,750/£8,400). The minimum wage in Kenya is 15,120 shillings ($105/£80).

South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa – at least $450 million (£354m)

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Cyril Ramaphosa earns an annual salary of around $167,000 (£131k) as South African president following a pay rise for elected officials in July 2023. While his salary is nearly 18 times higher than the average household income of his people, he's reportedly been donating half his salary to charity since 2018.

Ramaphosa stepped down as chairman of the investment firm Shanduka Group in 2015 to avoid a conflict of interest and completed the sale of his stake a year later. In 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth to be $450 million (£354m). It's unclear how his net worth has changed over the last eight years. Rampahosa faced investigation after around $4 million (£3m) in cash was found stashed in his house during a supposed burglary at one of his farms in 2020. A public watchdog cleared him of any wrongdoing in June 2023.

Rwanda: Paul Kagame – $500 million (£393m)

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Paul Kagame has been president of Rwanda since 2000 after he led rebel forces to end the Rwandan genocide that saw more than a million people murdered. Kagame has been key to the African country's economic rehabilitation and the idea of becoming the "Singapore of Africa", although this has been matched by an intolerance for dissent.

In 2012, it was reported that Kagame and the Rwandan Patriotic Front were controlling the country’s economy through a holding company called Crystal Ventures. This group is thought to have assets of $500 million (£393m) across everything from private jets to the country’s biggest milk processor. It's been estimated that Kagame, the chairman of Crystal Ventures, is also worth $500 million (£393m).

Azerbaijan: Ilham Aliyev – $500 million (£393m)

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Azerbaijan's Prime Minister, Ilham Aliyev, earned an official annual salary of $230,000 (£200k) in 2010, but due to the manat losing significant value against the dollar in 2015, it's more likely he now earns around $77,000 ($60,000). However, he and his family have other means to rely on, including large property assets abroad. In 2010, his then-12-year-old son Heydar reportedly purchased nine waterfront mansions in Dubai worth some $44 million (£34m), a figure the average Azerbaijan citizen would have to work 10,000 years to accrue.

The Aliyevs hit the headlines again when the Pandora Papers revealed that the British royal family's Crown Estate bought a £67 million ($91m) London property from the president's young son. Both Aliyev and his government have been accused of corruption over the years.

His net worth is said to be around $500 million (£393m), though other estimates put it as high as $900 million (£707m).

Equatorial Guinea: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo – $600 million (£470m)

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Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea since 1979, when he ousted his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema, in a military coup. Forbes estimated his wealth at $600 million (£470m) in 2006.

A taste for luxury seems to run in the family. In 2016 his son Teodoro 'Teodorín' Nguema Obiang (and the country's vice president) saw his fleet of 26 luxury cars, including seven Ferraris, five Bentleys, three Lamborghinis, a Maserati, a McLaren and a Bugatti Veyron seized by Swiss authorities as part of a corruption probe. The fleet was sold at a charity auction in 2019 for $27 million (£20.7m). More recently, the VP has had several homes seized by authorities and auctioned off, including an estate in Malibu, California, the proceeds of which funded COVID-19 vaccines in Equatorial Guinea.

UK: Rishi Sunak – $828 million (£651m)

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Rishi Sunak became the third British prime minister of 2022 when he took over from Liz Truss. As a result, he instantly joined the list of the richest world leaders. Sunak and his wife have a joint estimated net worth of $828 million (£651m), according to the most recent Sunday Times Rich List, an increase of $155 million (£122m) from last year's ranking.

As prime minister, Sunak earns an annual salary of £167,391 ($213k), according to politics.co.uk. However, the majority of his money has come from a successful business career – he co-founded the investment firm Theleme Partners in 2010 – and from his marriage to Akshata Murty, a fashion entrepreneur who owns around $500 million (£393m) worth of shares in her father's tech firm Infosys. Murty also owns a venture capital company and is a director or direct shareholder in five other UK-based firms, according to British newspaper The Sun.

Thailand: Srettha Thavisin – $1.3 billion (£1bn)

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Replacing Prayuth Chan-ocha, Srettha Thavisin became prime minister of Thailand on 22 August 2023. A successful businessman, Thavisin co-founded Sansiri – one of Thailand's largest real estate developers – in 1998 and went on to become a billionaire.

Sansiri has gone from strength to strength, experiencing growth even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thavisin, under whose leadership the company carried out one of the most expensive land purchases in Thai history, had to transfer his Sansiri shares to his daughter upon embarking on his political career, but remains one of the richest world leaders of all time with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion (£1bn).

Syria: Bashar al-Assad – $1.5 billion (£1.2bn)

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In 2012, Syria's leader Bashar al-Assad was estimated to have amassed a fortune of around $1.5 billion (£1.2bn), despite moves to freeze his assets in the UK, the US and Switzerland. For the financial year 2022, the US Department of State put his net worth at an estimated $1-$2 billion (£786m-£1.6bn).

Before the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the Assads and their friends were said to have owned between 60% and 70% of the country's assets, including land, energy plants and factories.

China: Xi Jinping – possibly $1.5 billion (£1.2bn)

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Xi Jinping may hold the distinguished titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, but he has a very modest salary of just $22,000 (£17.3k) per year.

However, in 2012 it was revealed that Jinping and his family had hidden investments in multiple holding companies, including a $244 million (£192m) share of property investment firm Shenzhen Yuanwei. At one point it was believed Xi had a net worth of $1.5 billion (£1.2bn), however, the extent of his wealth today is unknown.

North Korea: Kim Jong-un – $5 billion (£3.9bn)

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is thought to have amassed a net worth of $5 billion (£3.9bn) since 2013. Around that time, US and South Korean officials discovered assets and bank accounts controlled by the supreme leader and his family.

They found that much of his wealth was stashed away in over 200 bank accounts held in China and other countries, including Austria, Luxembourg, Russia and Switzerland.

Russia: Vladimir Putin – $200 billion (£157bn)

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All eyes have been on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, yet the finances of Russian president Vladimir Putin are shrouded in mystery. An estimate by former Hermitage Capital Management CEO Bill Browder, given under oath to the US Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017, put the former KGB officer's net worth at a huge $200 billion (£157bn). That would make him one of the richest people in the world today.

However, in 2018, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation said that Putin had officially only earned $673,000 (£529k) between 2011 and 2016. It also revealed he had an apartment in St Petersburg and 230 shares in Bank St Petersburg.

Russia: Vladimir Putin – $200 billion (£157bn)

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A video created by former opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died on 16 February and is widely believed to have been murdered by the  Russian authorities, featured an opulent palace by the Black Sea that was allegedly financed by billionaires close to the President as a "bribe". Navalny also alleged that Putin is obsessed with money and has plotted to steal the nation's wealth.

Putin denied that the palace belonged to him and described the video as a "compilation and montage". The Pandora Papers have linked the financial affairs of his inner circle to secretive business operations in Monaco, which has reportedly become "Moscow-on-sea" for wealthy Russians keen to avoid tax. These include Svetlana Krivonogikh, Putin's alleged mistress, who has apparently amassed a secret $100 million (£85m) fortune. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the claims in the Pandora Papers were "unsubstantiated".

Now take a look at what politicians get paid around the world