of Uruguay, who has eschewed all the perks of power to live a simple life among ordinary Uruguayans. It is in this light that we are taking a look at the top 10 world’s richest presidents and their style of leadership.
1. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia – $40 billion
Vladimir Putin has been the Russian President since 2012, though he also served in the post from 2000 to 2008. Though his reported income is only $80,000, Putin is said to be a multi-billionaire because of his stakes in various Russian companies. He has had several houses built ostensibly as official residences of the head of state or government. One in Praskoveevka near the Black Sea is said to cost around a billion dollars.
2. Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand – $30 billion
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the beloved King of Thailand. He is the longest currently serving head of state and the longest reigning monarch in the history of his country. He has been the country’s King since 1946. He has made generous contributions to various sectors of Thai society. He is considered to be the richest royal in the world.
3. Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei – $20 billion
Hassanal Bolkiah’s complete name is Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien. He became the Sultan of Brunei after the abdication of his father in 1967. He has one of the largest car collections in the world, with some companies making new cars exclusively for him. He even has a Rolls Royce coated with 24K gold.
4. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia – $18 billion
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is the third richest monarch in the world. He became King of Saudi Arabia in 2005 after the death of his half brother King Fahd. As the Saudi King, he is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Under his regime, the country has slowly been undertaking reforms, including allowing more rights to women. He is known for his immediate response to international disasters, like the 2008 earthquake in China and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
5. Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates – $15 billion
As the Emir of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is also the President of the United Arab Emirates.
He took over as President in 2004 after the death of his father. He is the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. His family has an estimated wealth of more than $150 billion. He is known for his philanthropic work, making donations to orphanages in Turkmenistan, hospitals in the US and schools in Wales.
6. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai – $4 billion
As the ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is also automatically the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates.
He came to power in 2006, succeeding his older brother Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He owns 99.67 percent of Dubai Holding.
He is also responsible for the construction of landmarks like the Palm Islands, Burj Al Arab and the Burj Al Khalifa. His family’s total wealth is estimated to be around $44 billion.
7. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechstenstein – $4 billion
His full name can be a mouthful: Johannes Hans Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d’ Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein. He owns the LGT banking group. His family also owns an extensive collection of art pieces. These are displayed for public viewing at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna. He is considered as the wealthiest monarch in all of Europe. He holds broad powers as head of state, including the ability to introduce legislation and the power to veto laws passed by the parliament.
8. Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar – $2.5 billion
The ruler of Qatar comes from the Al Thani dynasty that began its reign in 1850 when Muhammad bin Thani ruled the country. The family comes from one of the largest tribes in the Arabian Peninsula called the Banu Tamim. The current Emir came to power in 1995 after deposing his father.
He was one of the primary backers of the Al Jazeera news network, even providing a $137 million loan to help the company in its first years of operation. The Emir is also known as a huge football fan, having made bids to take over clubs like Manchester United and Rangers FC
9. Mohammed VI, King of Morocco – $2.5 billion
Mohammed VI became the King of Morocco in 1999 after the death of his father.
He drew a lot of attention after promising to tackle the triple issues of poverty, corruption and human rights violations. These have yet to be solved, however, as evidenced by widespread protests in 2011. Corruption issues have also led to the King himself. He holds significant amount of shares in Omnium Nord Africain, or the ONA Group, that owns diverse investments in retail, financial services, mining and other sectors
10. Sebastian Pinera, President of Chile – $2.4 billion
Sebastian Pinera came to power in 2010 after being elected as the first billionaire to be sworn in as President of Chile. He owned Chilevision, a terrestrial television channel that broadcasted all over Chile. He also owned 27 percent of LAN Airlines after purchasing the shares of Scandinavian Airlines in the former state-owned firm in 1994. He also held a 13 percent share in Colo Colo, one of the country’s most popular football clubs. He was also responsible for introducing credit cards to Chile in the 70s.
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