Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, has been praised for her compassionate leadership and progressive policies, including her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the youngest female leaders in the world, Ardern has been in the limelight since she took over the prime minister role in 2017. The fame has also led to many wondering what was her net worth.
Net worth
There is not much detail available when it comes to the net worth of the former Prime Minister. However certain websites were able to provide a rough estimate of Ardern's net worth.
As per News Now Nigeria, the former New Zealand Prime Minister's net worth was between $5 million and $10 million.
Sources
As the Prime Minister of New Zealand, she earned an annual salary of $471,049 New Zealand dollars (approximately US$281,047). In April 2020, Ardern announced that she and other public-sector CEOs would take a 20% pay cut during the early phases of the global lockdown. By the end of her term, which began in 2017, she will have earned more than NZ$2,300,000 in salary. Ardern has also authored books and has been recognized as one of the world's most powerful women, all of which contribute to her net worth.
Early foray into politics
Ardern began her career in politics through involvement in the New Zealand Labor Party. She joined the party at a young age and became a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth. Ardern worked as a researcher in the office of Prime Minister Helen Clark and later served as an adviser to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In 2008, Ardern was elected as a list MP for the Labor Party, entering the New Zealand Parliament. She quickly rose through the ranks of the party, holding various spokesperson roles, including Youth Affairs and Social Development.
In 2017, Ardern became the leader of the Labor Party just seven weeks before the general election. Despite the short time frame, she led the party to a strong showing, and after negotiations with other parties, she became the Prime Minister of New Zealand, marking the beginning of her tenure in one of the highest offices in the country.
A strong-willed woman
Ardern redefined expectations for government leaders by giving birth, taking six weeks of maternity leave, and announcing that her partner would be a stay-at-home dad. Riding a wave of "Jacindamania," she rose to power in 2017 at the age of 38, becoming one of the world's youngest female leaders and New Zealand's youngest Prime Minister in 150 years. She secured a second term in a resounding victory in October 2020. Leading the Labor Party, Ardern pledged an "empathetic" government with ambitious agendas to address climate change and child poverty.