World's Richest Politicians#4 Sonia Gandhi
Net Worth: $2-19 billion
Residence: India
Position: President, Indian National Congress (political party)
Gandhi is originally from Italy. She is the widow of Rajiv Gandhi, the assassinated former prime minister. As leader of the Congress party, Gandhi played a key role in reviving the party's fortune and power.
There's some dispute about her actual net worth, while Forbes doesn't list it. And India's National Election Watch has it listed at about $200,000.
Source: World's Luxury Guide (based on OpenSecrets.org, Forbes.com, Bloomberg.com, Wikipedia.org, Guardian.co.uk)
28. February 2012, from Redaktion
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (net worth: $18.1 billion) isn't the world's richest politician (that titles goes to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia), but he's probably the best known, and - we might even add - the most fun.
EPA/JASON DECROW / POOL
A report this week in Shanghai-based luxury magazine Hurun found that members of China's National People's Congress comprise the world’s wealthiest group of lawmakers. While the wealth of China's political class seems poised to continue increasing, kings in the Middle East remain the world's wealthiest politicians. Third on the list is Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (net worth: $18.1 billion) isn't the world's richest politician (that titles goes to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia), but he's probably the best known, and - we might even add - the most fun.
© EPA/JASON DECROW / POOL
Chinese politicians are making great leaps forward in terms of personal wealth. This information is not astounding in and of itself: China over the past twenty years has experienced one of history's speediest ever economic growth trajectories.
But a new report by Hurun magazine struck a cord when its findings were contrasted with another group of rich politicians: US Congresswomen and men.
China’s political class several times wealthier than US Congresswomen and men.List: World's Richest Politicians
Name
Country
Position
Wealth
Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz
Saudi Arabia
King
$21 billion
Hassanal Bolkiah
Brunei
Sultan
$20 billion
Michael Bloomberg
USA
Mayor of New York
$18.1 billion
Sonia Gandhi
India
President, Indian National Congress (political party)
$2-19 billion
Click here to read this list in its entirety.
Bloomberg news reported on Monday: “The net worth of the 70 richest delegates in China's National People's Congress … rose to 565.8 billion yuan ($89.8 billion) in 2011, a gain of $11.5 billion from 2010 … That compares to the $7.5 billion net worth of all 660 top officials in the three branches of the U.S. government.”
Let those figures sink in for a moment.
The report explained that wealthy Chinese businesswomen and men joined the political system in order to protect themselves and their businesses from judicial corruption and uneven application of property rights laws.
Middle Eastern kings are the world's richest politicians
The world's richest leaders hail from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the King of Saudi Arabia, ranked first on the World Luxury Guide’s List of the World’s Richest Politicians (which you can read here) with a net wealth estimated at $21-80 billion. Some sources maintained that the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyad, is the world's second richest leader, with an estimated personal fortune of $35 billion. Yet, as he is not directly involved in matters of state, he has not been included on our list. Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, is thus the world’s second richest politician, with an estimated fortune totaling $20 billion.
German politicians also profiting – but in a uniquely German way
Though no comparable data is available for German lawmakers, a spokesperson for political oversight group Abgeordnetenwatch.de told World Luxury Guide that the wealth issue also resonates in Berlin.
“The problem in Germany is that you can't really determine how much members of parliament earn from side jobs at companies, speeches, and other activities,” said Roman Ebener of the Hamburg-based group.
Laws requiring parliamentarians to list income from side jobs only compel lawmakers to check “over €7,000 earned.” See explanation of this system here (page is in German).
A law that would have required more detailed disclosure of parliamentarians’ income was struck down by parliamentarians last year. But Ebener explained that this law probably wouldn’t have made a difference because companies and wealthy individuals would influence the political process in other ways, he said.
Peer Steinbrück is probably the richest member of Bundestag
“Companies and lobbying groups rent stands at party events or buy ads in party newspapers for very high prices. This is how they channel money to the political parties. And this is still legal in Germany,” Ebener said.
So who is Germany’s richest politician? Probably Peer Steinbrück, who, according to Abgeordnetenwatch, earned anywhere from 150,000 to one over million euros in 2011.
And who are the world’s richest politicians? See our slideshow above to find out.
No comments:
Post a Comment