Politicians are generally better off than the rest of society, but Britain’s current prime minister is an extreme example.
Rishi Sunak announced plans for a July general election just days after a Rich List estimate found he and his wife were wealthier than the King.
In a statement he said: “Congratulations to Rishi. We are proud of him and we wish him success. We are confident he will do his best for the people of the United Kingdom.”
Sunak’s connections with Narayana Murthy make him the richest-ever prime minister. But how much is Sunak and his family worth?
What is the Sunak’s net worth?
Narayana Murthy is the founder of Indian IT company Infosys. His wealth is valued at $4.4 billion (£3.5 billion) according to Forbes. Infosys now has a market cap of around £57 billion.
Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty controls about 0.9% of the share capital of Infosys, which is worth £513 million. Sunak’s brother-in-law Rohan Murty controls a 1.5% stake in the business worth £855 million, giving the siblings a combined stake of over £1.3 billion.
On top of their shareholding of Infosys, the family also receive dividends. Akshata Murty is estimated to have received Infosys dividends worth £50 million since the start of 2020.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Sunak and Murty have a combined net worth of £651 million. That’s enough put them ahead of the King, who is valued at £605 million.
Murty and Sunak, who married in 2009, own a string of luxury properties worth an estimated £15 million, from a Pacific Ocean facing penthouse apartment in celebrity enclave Santa Monica, to a rambling Georgian manor house in North Yorkshire.
In London, they own two properties including a five-bedroom mews house in Kensington and pied-à-terre apartment in South Kensington’s Old Brompton Road.
The couple bought their primary London residence in 2010, a year after they married. They paid a reported £4.5 million for the five-bedroom mews house, which is now understood to be worth £7 million.
Sunak’s staggering wealth came under scrutiny during his battle with Liz Truss in 2022 to become leader of the Conservative party. The former Goldman Sachs employee rejected claims that his wealth made him out of touch with voters.
At a leadership hustings event in Darlington, Sunak said: “I think in our country, we judge people not by their bank account, we judge them by their character and their actions. And yes, I’m really fortunate to be in the situation I’m in now, but I wasn’t born like this.
“My parents worked really hard to provide me with all these opportunities. I’m not going to apologise for what they did for me. And in fact, that’s why I want to do this job because I want to provide those opportunities for everyone else.”
