Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty (Picture: PA)
Rishi Sunak enters No.10 Downing Street the richest prime minister in British history – even wealthier than the King.
He owes much of his fortune to his wife Akshata Murty, who has a £430million stake in her billionaire dad Narayana Murthy’s IT empire Infosys, and runs a fashion label.
Before he was an MP, Mr Sunak worked for Goldman Sachs and in hedge funds. At 21, his parents loaned him £105,000, helping him buy a £210,000 London flat, Channel 4 reported.
And the Sunday Times Rich List put his and his wife’s wealth at £730million, 222nd in the UK. Charles has an estimated £600million.
Ms Murty’s non-domicile tax status – which she gave up this year – had put their finances under scrutiny, as she didn’t have to pay taxes in Britain on overseas income. Mr Sunak also faced claims he was paid through his former hedge fund with assets from tax havens, in a Channel 4 investigation in July. At the time he said any assets he had were subject to US tax, which he paid.
But more controversy came as Infosys, not subject to UK sanctions against Russia, had an office in Moscow until April. Confronted by Sky News in March over cutting ties with Russia, Mr Sunak hit back: ‘I’m an elected politician and I’m here to talk to you about what I’m responsible for – my wife is not.’
No.10 might be underwhelming compared to the pair’s homes, which include a £2million Yorkshire mansion, a £7million Kensington townhouse and a £5.5million California flat.
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Read the latest Rishi Sunak news on Metro.co.uk’s dedicated page.
When Boris Johnson was in Downing Street he was criticised for seeking funding from donors for an expensive refit, including pricey designer wallpaper.
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He’s wealthier than the King.