Abdullah Gül is a Turkish politician who has a net worth of $5 million.

Abdullah Gül is a Turkish statesman, economist, and diplomat who played a central role in reshaping Turkey's political landscape in the early 21st century. A founding figure of the Justice and Development Party, Gül served at the highest levels of government during a period of rapid economic growth, institutional reform, and intensified debate over Turkey's democratic direction. He is one of the few Turkish politicians to have held all three of the country's most powerful executive posts: prime minister, foreign minister, and president.

Internationally, Gül became known as a soft-spoken, consensus-oriented leader who emphasized diplomacy, economic integration, and engagement with Western institutions while maintaining strong ties to the Muslim world. Domestically, he was often viewed as a moderating counterweight within Turkish politics, particularly during moments of tension between secular institutions and religiously conservative voters. While his presidency coincided with the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the dominant political force in Turkey, Gül carved out a distinct reputation as a measured constitutionalist who stressed the rule of law, civil liberties, and Turkey's European aspirations. His career reflects both the ambitions and contradictions of modern Turkish conservatism.

2007 Financial Disclosure

In 2007, following his election as president, Abdullah Gül submitted a legally required financial disclosure outlining his personal assets. According to court records and contemporaneous reporting, the disclosure showed that Gül's wealth was concentrated primarily in real estate rather than cash or financial instruments. Assets registered in his own name included an apartment in Istanbul's Üsküdar district, a residence in the Erenköy neighborhood of Istanbul, and agricultural land in the Gölbaşı district of Ankara. The most substantial portion of the disclosure involved two villas in the Ümraniye area of Istanbul, which Gül had purchased from the state housing authority, TOKİ. The combined purchase price for the two villas was reported as 820,000 YTL, equivalent to roughly $600,000–$630,000 at 2007 exchange rates.

Early Life and Education

Abdullah Gül was born on October 29, 1950, in Kayseri, Turkey. He grew up in a middle-class family and demonstrated academic promise early on. Gül studied economics at Istanbul University, where he developed an interest in development policy and international finance. He later pursued graduate studies in the United Kingdom, attending the University of Exeter, an experience that shaped his worldview and strengthened his fluency in English. His exposure to Western academic and political systems would later inform his emphasis on diplomacy and economic integration.

Early Career and Entry into Politics

Before entering frontline politics, Gül worked as an economist at the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, gaining firsthand experience in international finance and multilateral institutions. He entered Turkish politics in the early 1990s as a member of the Welfare Party and later the Virtue Party, both part of Turkey's Islamist political tradition. During this period, he served as a member of parliament and built a reputation as an articulate policy thinker rather than a populist campaigner.

After Turkey's constitutional court shut down the Virtue Party, Gül joined Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other reformists in founding the Justice and Development Party. The new party sought to distance itself from overt political Islam and present a conservative democratic platform focused on economic growth, European Union accession, and political reform.

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister

Following the Justice and Development Party's sweeping electoral victory in 2002, Gül briefly served as prime minister while Erdoğan resolved a legal ban that initially prevented him from holding office. Once Erdoğan assumed the premiership, Gül became foreign minister, a role in which he played a key part in redefining Turkey's international posture.

As foreign minister, Gül championed Turkey's bid for European Union membership, oversaw major diplomatic initiatives, and worked to improve relations with neighboring countries. His tenure was marked by an emphasis on dialogue, economic diplomacy, and positioning Turkey as a regional bridge between East and West.

Getty Images

Presidency of Turkey

In 2007, Abdullah Gül was elected president of Turkey, a milestone that carried deep symbolic significance. His candidacy was controversial due to his Islamist roots and the fact that his wife wore a headscarf, a sensitive issue within Turkey's staunchly secular establishment. Despite initial resistance from the military and opposition parties, Gül's election ultimately proceeded through parliamentary vote.

As president, Gül adopted a largely conciliatory and institutional tone. He exercised veto powers selectively, voiced concern over press freedom and judicial independence, and frequently emphasized constitutional norms. While the presidency is a largely ceremonial role, Gül used the office to promote moderation and international credibility during a period of profound political change.

Relationship with Erdoğan

Although Gül and Erdoğan rose to power together, their political paths gradually diverged. Gül was often seen as more cautious and institutionally minded, while Erdoğan pursued an increasingly centralized style of governance. After completing his single presidential term in 2014, Gül declined to seek further political office and avoided direct confrontation with Erdoğan, even as Turkey's political climate grew more polarized.

Life After the Presidency

Since leaving office, Gül has remained active in public discourse through speeches, academic engagements, and international forums. He has occasionally voiced concern about democratic backsliding, economic management, and Turkey's international standing, though he has stopped short of leading an opposition movement. Periodically mentioned as a potential unifying figure in Turkish politics, Gül has consistently resisted calls to return to electoral politics.

Read more: Abdullah Gül Net Worth

Nicolás Maduro is a Venezuelan politician who has a net worth of $2 million. Nicolás Maduro rose from union activism to become one of the most consequential and polarizing leaders in modern Latin American history. He began his public life as a bus driver in Caracas and a labor organizer, building political credibility through grassroots activism. Maduro entered national politics after the election of Hugo Chávez, winning a seat in the National Assembly in 2000 and quickly emerging as a loyal and dependable figure within Chávez's inner circle. Over the next decade, he held a series of powerful posts, including president of the National Assembly, foreign minister, and vice president, gaining experience in both domestic governance and international diplomacy while reinforcing the ideological foundations of Venezuela's socialist project.

Following Chávez's death in 2013, Maduro narrowly won a special presidential election and assumed control of a country already facing structural economic weaknesses. His presidency soon became defined by severe economic collapse, hyperinflation, widespread shortages of food and medicine, and the mass emigration of millions of Venezuelans. Politically, Maduro consolidated power by weakening independent institutions, sidelining opposition-controlled bodies, and governing increasingly by decree. Elections held under his leadership were widely disputed, and his government faced persistent accusations of human rights abuses, corruption, and repression of dissent.

Internationally, Maduro became a focal point of geopolitical tension, particularly with the United States, which imposed extensive sanctions and accused his government of criminal activity tied to drug trafficking. His rule ended abruptly in early 2026 when he was captured during a U.S. military operation and transported to New York to face federal narcotics and weapons charges. The episode marked an unprecedented collapse for a sitting head of state and closed a dramatic chapter in Venezuela's political history.

Early Life and Education

Nicolás Maduro Moros was born on November 23, 1962, the only boy among four children born to Teresa Moros and Nicolás Maduro García. His father was a prominent trade union leader. Although Maduro has claimed to have been born in Caracas, his birthplace and nationality have been the subject of longstanding dispute. He attended Liceo José Ávalos in the El Valle neighborhood of Caracas, where he was active in the student union, but he did not graduate.

Career Beginnings

Maduro began his professional life as a bus driver for the Caracas Metro, where he organized workers and helped establish an unofficial trade union. In 1983, he worked as a bodyguard for José Vicente Rangel during Rangel's unsuccessful presidential campaign. Later in the decade, Maduro moved to Havana, Cuba, where he lived among South American leftist militants and completed a one-year political training course at the Escuela Nacional de Cuadros Julio Antonio Mella.

In the early 1990s, Maduro joined the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200, campaigning for the release of Hugo Chávez following Chávez's failed coup attempt. He later helped found the Fifth Republic Movement, which became the political vehicle for Chávez's return to power.

Rise in Government

Running on the Fifth Republic Movement ticket, Maduro was elected to Venezuela's Chamber of Deputies in 1998. He subsequently served in the Constituent National Assembly in 1999 and the National Assembly beginning in 2000, representing the Capital District. In 2005, he was elected president of the National Assembly, and in 2006 he was appointed minister of foreign affairs, a post he held for six years. In 2012, Chávez named Maduro vice president and, shortly before his death, publicly designated him as his successor.

Getty Images

President of Venezuela

After Chávez's death in March 2013, Maduro became interim president and was declared the winner of a special presidential election later that year. His first years in office were marked by severe shortages, declining living standards, and mass protests. In 2015, after the opposition won control of the National Assembly, Maduro began ruling by decree and relied increasingly on the Supreme Justice Tribunal and the military to maintain power.

In 2017, the Supreme Justice Tribunal stripped the National Assembly of its authority, triggering a constitutional crisis and widespread demonstrations. Maduro responded by convening a Constituent National Assembly through an election widely regarded as fraudulent. He claimed reelection in 2018 in another disputed vote, and in 2019 the opposition named National Assembly president Juan Guaidó as interim president, igniting a prolonged political standoff.

A new crisis erupted in 2024 after Maduro claimed victory in yet another contested election. Over the course of his rule, Venezuela experienced rampant corruption, repression, and economic devastation. Between 2013 and 2023, the country fell 42 places on the World Press Freedom Index. International organizations have reported widespread extrajudicial killings, systematic due process violations, and the forced displacement of more than seven million Venezuelans. In 2018, an independent panel designated by the Organization of American States concluded that Maduro's government committed crimes against humanity, and the International Criminal Court later opened a formal investigation.

2026 Arrest and Collapse of Power

In early 2026, Nicolás Maduro's grip on power came to a sudden and unprecedented end following a U.S.-led military operation that resulted in his capture inside Venezuela. American forces transported Maduro and his wife to New York, where he was brought before a federal court to face long-standing narcotics and weapons charges that had previously been filed under seal. The operation marked the first time a sitting head of state had been forcibly removed from office and prosecuted in a U.S. courtroom, sending shockwaves through Latin America and the international community. Maduro pleaded not guilty and described himself as the legitimate president of Venezuela, while U.S. officials framed the operation as a law enforcement action rather than a military intervention. In Venezuela, the arrest triggered a chaotic transition period, with competing claims of legitimacy from Maduro loyalists, opposition figures, and an interim governing authority backed by the United States. The episode effectively ended Maduro's presidency and transformed him from an entrenched authoritarian ruler into a criminal defendant, closing one of the most destabilizing chapters in Venezuela's modern history.

Personal Life

Maduro's first wife was Adriana Guerra Angulo, with whom he had his only biological son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra. Following their divorce, he married lawyer and politician Cilia Flores in 2013. The two had previously dated in the 1990s, when Flores served as Hugo Chávez's attorney. Through Flores, Maduro became stepfather to her three children, Walter, Yoswel, and Yosser.

Read more: Nicolás Maduro Net Worth

Hu Jintao is a Chinese politician and former engineer who has a net worth of $800 thousand. Hu Jintao was the president of China from 2003 to 2013, and was also the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 2002 to 2012 and the chairman of the Central Military Commission. During his leadership, Hu oversaw consistent economic growth and development in China, although he also caused unrest due to his government's persecution of ethnic minorities and repression of free speech.

Early Life and Education

Hu Jintao was born on December 21, 1942 in Taizhou, Jiangsu, China, which at the time was under Japanese occupation. He is a direct descendant of Hu Zongxian, a Ming dynasty general known for battling Japanese pirates. Hu grew up in a relatively poor family, and he was raised by his aunt after his mother passed away when he was seven. For his higher education, he attended Tsinghua University, where he studied hydraulic engineering. Hu graduated in 1964, the same year he joined the Chinese Communist Party.

Career Beginnings as Engineer

After working at his alma mater Tsinghua University as a political counselor, Hu began working as an engineer in 1965. Later in the decade, during the Third Front Construction, he worked on the construction of Liujiaxia Hydroelectric Station in Gansu. From 1969 to 1974, Hu worked for the engineering bureau of Sinohydro. During that time, he became a secretary for the Construction Department in Gansu. Hu was eventually promoted to a deputy senior party secretary, and then to deputy head.

Rise in Politics

In 1982, Hu assumed leadership of Gansu's Communist Youth League of China branch, and also of the All-China Youth Federation. He subsequently joined the CYLC in Beijing, eventually becoming its leader. In 1985, Hu was transferred to Guizhou as a party committee secretary of the CCP. A few years later, he was transferred to the Tibet Autonomous Region and was made political commissar of the local People's Liberation Army units. As leader of Tibet, Hu orchestrated a violent repression of dissent. His political stature kept rising after that, and in 1992 he became a leading member of the CCP Central Secretariat. In 1998, Hu became the vice president of China under CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Leader of China

In late 2002, Hu succeeded Jiang as the CCP general secretary and the paramount leader of China. He became president the next year, and in 2004 became chairman of the Central Military Commission. Hu remained the paramount leader of China until 2012 and president until 2013. His leadership tenure was noted for being reserved and mostly conservative on political reforms. Early in his tenure, Hu oversaw the response to the SARS outbreak and worked to increase healthcare coverage. He introduced the Scientific Outlook on Development, a political doctrine intended to foster a "Socialist Harmonious Society" by eliminating socioeconomic inequality and strife. However, to do this, Hu orchestrated the repression of ethnic minorities and dissidents, and oversaw the passing of the Anti-Secession Law to give China more power over Taiwan. His administration's persecution of ethnic minorities caused serious unrest, leading to the Tibetan uprising in 2008 and other mass protests.

In matters of foreign policy, Hu promoted China's peaceful rise on the world stage, using soft power in international relations and taking a corporate tack to diplomacy. During his tenure, China increased its influence in Africa, Latin America, and various developing regions, although it also sowed tension with many of its neighbors. Hu oversaw close to a decade of consistent economic growth and development in China, helping to modernize its infrastructure and cement its status as a major global power. However, many critics of Hu felt his government was overly aggressive in demonstrating its power. His administration also elicited pushback for its repression of the freedom of speech and press. Although he proved to be controversial during his tenure, Hu was widely praised for voluntarily stepping down from all of his leadership positions. He was succeeded as paramount leader by Xi Jinping in 2013.

Personal Life

In 1970, Hu married Liu Yongqing, whom he had first met when they were both students at Tsinghua University. They have two children, Haifeng and Haiqing.

Read more: Hu Jintao Net Worth

Idi Amin was a Ugandan military dictator who had a net worth of AT LEAST $100 million, though it's extremely difficult to peg the amount of wealth that was plundered and stashed in bank accounts during his reign of terror.

Idi Amin served as the ruler of Uganda from 1971 until he was deposed in 1979. During his reign, he conducted countless human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, political repression, and rampant corruption, earning him the sobriquet "The Butcher of Uganda."

Early Life

Idi Amin Dada Oumee was born on May 30, 1928, in Kampala, Uganda, as the third son of a Lugbara mother and a Kakwa father. When he was four years old, his parents divorced, and he was subsequently brought up by his mother's family in a rural farming town. Amin reportedly worked as a goat farmer while living with his mother's relatives. In 1940, he moved in with his maternal uncle in Bombo. Midway through the decade, he moved back to Kampala and took a number of odd jobs, including doorman and concierge assistant at the Grand Imperial Hotel.

King's African Rifles

In 1946, Amin joined the King's African Rifles, a regiment of the British Colonial Auxiliary Forces. Originally an assistant cook, he rose to the rank of lieutenant and participated in Britain's battle against Somali rebels. Amin subsequently fought against the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya in 1952. That year, he was promoted to corporal, and in 1953 he became a sergeant. In 1959, Amin reached the highest possible rank for a black soldier in the King's African Rifles and returned to Uganda. After Uganda became independent from the United Kingdom in 1962, Amin stayed in the Ugandan Army and eventually rose to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Army in 1964. He was soon named Commander of the Army.

Keystone/Getty Images

Military Dictatorship

Discovering that Uganda president Milton Obote, with whom he had a highly strained relationship, was planning to arrest him on account of mismanaging army funds, Amin launched a military coup d'état against the Ugandan government in early 1971. The coup was successful, and Amin installed himself as president under military rule. He went on to reign with extreme brutality over an impoverished nation, conducting rampant human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, political repression, and all manner of corruption. Amin was supported by various other totalitarian regimes, including those in Libya, the Soviet Union, and East Germany.

In 1972, Amin forcibly expelled Uganda's Southeast Asian population, and in 1975 he became the chair of the Organisation of African Unity. As his reign continued, Amin became more erratic while ramping up his persecution of ethnic minorities and political dissidents, causing increasing social unrest. Between 100,000 and 500,000 people were reportedly murdered under his regime. In 1978, Amin tried to annex the Kagera Region of Tanzania, which caused Tanzanian troops to invade Uganda. With the aid of rebel forces, the Tanzanian Army was able to capture Kampala and depose Amin in 1979.

Exile

Following his ousting from power, Amin went into exile. Soldier of Fortune magazine offered a $10,000 bounty in gold for anyone who could provide information leading to his live capture. Amin lived in exile in Libya until 1980, and then briefly in Iraq. He finally settled in Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi royal family gave him sanctuary and a subsidy for keeping away from politics. In 1989, without being authorized by the Saudi government, Amin left exile and went to Zaire with one of his sons; his aim was to mobilize a rebel force to seize back power in Uganda. However, he was immediately recognized at the airport in Zaire and was promptly arrested. After much rigmarole and tensions with various governments, Amin was allowed to go back to Saudi Arabia on the condition that he never again take part in political or military activities. He remained in the country until his passing.

Personal Life and Death

Amin was married to at least seven women during his lifetime, three of whom he divorced. His wives included Malyamu, Kay, Nora, and the 19-year-old Sarah Kyolaba. With Kyolaba, Amin had four children. Overall, he reportedly had as many as 60 children, with at least 40 being official.

In July of 2003, Amin's fourth wife, Nalongo Madina, reported that Amin was in a coma caused by kidney failure. He was on life support in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia until his family chose to disconnect him, resulting in his death on August 16, 2003. Amin's body was interred in Ruwais Cemetery in Jeddah without ceremony.

Read more: Idi Amin Net Worth

Ariel Sharon was an Israeli military commander and politician who had a net worth of $20 million at the time of his death. Ariel Sharon served as the Prime Minister of Israel from 2001 to 2006, and prior to that held various ministerial posts in governments led by the rightwing Likud party. He was particularly notorious for his time as Minister of Defense in the early 1980s, and for overseeing the construction of the West Bank barrier and Israeli's disengagement from the Gaza Strip during his premiership.

Early Life

Ariel Sharon was born on February 28, 1928 in Kfar Matal, Mandatory Palestine to Russian Jewish immigrants Vera and Shmuel. He had an older sister named Yehudit. When he was 10, Sharon joined the youth movement HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, and as a teenager he began participating in the armed night patrols of his moshav. He also joined the paramilitary youth battalion Gadna.

Military Career

As a member of the Zionist paramilitary organization Haganah, Sharon was involved in the Battle for Jerusalem during the Palestine war. For his role, he was made a platoon commander of the Alexandroni Brigade. Sharon rose in the military ranks following Israel's independence and the advent of the Israel Defense Forces in 1948. He became an integral figure in the creation of the IDF's Unit 101, which merged with the 890 Paratroopers Battalion to form the Paratroopers Brigade. Sharon would become the commander of the group. In his role, he took part in many of the IDF's reprisal operations, including the Qibya massacre in 1953, the Sinai War in 1956, the Six-Day War in 1967, and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Sharon was praised by many for his military leadership, but he also drew criticism for his politics, and he was relieved from duty in early 1974.

Rise in the Political Ranks

After leaving the military, Sharon entered Israeli politics. In 1976, he founded the Shlomtzion party, which he merged with the rightwing Likud party immediately after Likud's victory in the 1977 elections. Sharon subsequently became Minister of Agriculture. Following Likud's narrow win in the 1981 elections, Sharon was made Minister of Defense. In that role, he orchestrated the 1982 Lebanon War, during which he oversaw the Sabra and Shatila massacre in Beirut. The Kahan Commission determined that he bore "personal responsibility" for the massacre, resulting in his termination as Minister of Defense. Sharon continued to hold various ministerial roles in Likud-led governments until 1992, and again between 1996 and 1999 under Benjamin Netanyahu. During this time, he promoted the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister of Israel

In 1999, Sharon became the leader of the Likud. The following year, while campaigning for the 2001 prime ministerial elections, he made a controversial visit to Al-Aqsa on the Temple Mount that precipitated the Second Intifada. In the 2001 elections, Sharon ended up defeating incumbent Prime Minister Ehud Barak to become the new Prime Minister of Israel. During his premiership, he orchestrated the construction of the West Bank barrier between 2002 and 2003 and Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The latter action prompted major pushback within the Likud, causing Sharon to leave the party and form a new one, Kadima. With an ostensible plan to clear Israel out of the West Bank through a series of unilateral withdrawals, Sharon was widely expected to win the next prime ministerial elections before he was incapacitated by a stroke.

GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images

Personal Life

Sharon married his first wife, Margalit Zimmerman, in 1953. They had a son named Gur. Margalit was killed in a car accident in 1962, and their son was fatally shot while playing with a rifle with a friend at the Sharon home in 1967. In 1963, Sharon wed his late wife's younger sister Lily. Together, they had two sons named Omri and Gilad. Lily passed away in 2000.

Illness and Death

Sharon was in poor health for much of his life. Obese since the 1980s, he was notorious for his excessive consumption of food, alcohol, and cigars. In late 2005, Sharon was hospitalized following a minor stroke and was found to have a heart defect that required surgery. However, Sharon decided to return to work, and in early 2006 he had a major stroke that returned him to the hospital. He subsequently had two surgeries before falling into a coma. Following multiple further surgeries, Sharon was transferred to a long-term care facility at Sheba Medical Center. His condition worsened over the ensuing years, and after eight years in a coma, he passed away on January 11, 2014.

Read more: Ariel Sharon Net Worth

Islam Karimov was an Uzbek politician who had a net worth of $1 billion. Islam Karimov served as the first president of Uzbekistan, being elected after the country's independence in 1991 and remaining in office until his death in 2016. An authoritarian leader, he ran a regime in which human rights were abused and political opponents were killed.

Early Life and Education

Islam Karimov was born on January 30, 1938 in Samarkand, Soviet Uzbekistan to Sanobar and Abdug'ani, both civil servants. He spent portions of his childhood in an orphanage. After graduating from high school in 1955, Karimov attended the Central Asian Polytechnic Institute, from which he received a degree in mechanical engineering in 1960. He went on to obtain a master's degree in economics from Tashkent State University of Economics in 1967.

Rising Through the Political Ranks

Karimov began his career as an engineer, and worked for his country's Ministry of Water Resources. Starting in 1966, he worked his way up the ranks of the Uzbek State Planning Committee, eventually becoming its chairman in the 1980s. In 1989, Karimov became first secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan, serving in that role until the party was reconstituted as the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan in 1991.

(ALEXANDER NEMENOV AFP/ Getty Images)

President of Uzbekistan

In March of 1990, Karimov became the first president of Soviet Uzbekistan. The next year, following the failed August Coup in Moscow, Karimov declared Uzbekistan an independent nation. He went on to win the presidential election at the end of the year, although the voting was reportedly under rigged conditions. Karimov became notorious as an authoritarian leader who ran a repressive regime that abused human rights and assassinated dissidents. His administration was known to engage in kidnapping, torture, murder, religious persecution, and financial corruption. Among the most notable instances was the Andijan massacre in May of 2005, when the government deliberately led hundreds of protesters into a trap and summarily shot and murdered them. The regime was also largely focused on anti-Islamism, and imprisoned and silenced thousands of Uzbek Muslims. In foreign policy, Uzbekistan under Karimov was defined by isolationism. Heavily criticized by both national opponents and international observers, Karimov was able to stay in office after his first term due to a controversial referendum in 1995. He was reelected in 2000, 2007, and 2015, serving until his death in 2016.

Personal Life and Death

Karimov married his first wife, Natalya Kuchmi, in 1964. They had a son named Petr before divorcing around 1966. He subsequently married economist Tatyana Akbarovna in 1967. Together, they had two daughters: controversial former businesswoman Gulnara and diplomat and philanthropist Lola. The couple also had five grandchildren.

In late August in 2016, Karimov fell unconscious and was taken to the Central Clinical Hospital. He had suffered a massive stroke, and went into cardiac arrest. After being resuscitated, Karimov was left in a coma and was put on a ventilator. He passed away on September 2 following multiple organ failure and another cardiac arrest.

Read more: Islam Karimov Net Worth

Giorgia Meloni is an Italian politician who has a net worth of $2 million. Giorgia Meloni serves as the prime minister of Italy, having been elected in 2022 as the country's first female prime minister. Sworn into office on October 22, 2022, she leads a center-right coalition and heads the most right-wing government Italy has seen since World War II. Meloni began her political journey at the age of 15, joining the youth wing of the post-fascist Italian Social Movement. She was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006 and served as Vice President of the Chamber. From 2008 to 2011, she held the position of Minister for Youth in Silvio Berlusconi's government, becoming one of the youngest cabinet members in Italian history.

In 2012, Meloni co-founded the Brothers of Italy party and became its president in 2014. Under her leadership, the party grew from the political fringes to a dominant national force, rising from 4% to over 26% in national support. As Prime Minister, Meloni has adopted a pragmatic approach—supporting Ukraine, engaging with EU partners, and advancing conservative social policies focused on family, identity, and immigration control. Her leadership has made her a prominent figure in European politics and one of the most influential women in global government.

Salary & Financial Disclosures

Giorgia Meloni, as Prime Minister of Italy and a member of Parliament, is required to file public financial disclosures. Her most recent tax return for fiscal year 2022 reported total income of approximately €293,531 (about $310,000 USD), reflecting her combined compensation as prime minister and a parliamentary deputy. In the following fiscal year, her declared income dropped to around €160,706 (roughly $170,000 USD), which still represented an increase of more than €25,000 compared to earlier years.

Meloni's salary as prime minister is reportedly around €80,000 per year (approximately $85,000 USD), and she has declined the additional allowance typically granted to heads of government, instead choosing to retain only her parliamentary salary. Over the course of her political career, which began in 2006, her cumulative earnings are estimated to total approximately €1.6 million (about $1.7 million USD).

Meloni does not appear to hold significant personal assets. Her disclosures reference a modest apartment in Rome, and there is no indication of major investments, debts, or business holdings.

Early Life and Education

Giorgia Meloni was born on January 15, 1977 in Rome, Italy to Anna and Francesco. Her paternal grandmother was actress Zoe Incrocci. When Meloni was just a year old, her father left the family and moved to the Canary Islands. A few years after that, the family's house burned down, prompting the Melonis to move to the Garbatella zone in Rome. Meloni has an older sister named Arianna, and from her father's remarriage she has four step-siblings.

At the age of 15 in 1992, Meloni joined the Youth Front, the youth wing of the political party the Italian Social Movement. The party dissolved three years later. Subsequently, in 1996, Meloni became the national leader of Student Action, the student movement of the National Alliance party. That year, she graduated from Instituto tecnico professionale di Stato Amerigo Vespucci.

Start of Political Career

In 1998, Meloni was elected as a councillor of the province of Rome. She served in that position until 2002. Meanwhile, in 2000, Meloni became the national director of the National Alliance youth wing Youth Action; she went on to become its president in 2004. During this time, Meloni made money by waitressing and bartending at the Piper Club nightclub in Rome. In 2006, as a member of the National Alliance, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies and became its youngest-ever vice president. Meloni represented the constituency of Lazio 1 until 2008, and after being reelected represented Lazio 2. She went on to win further reelections in 2013, 2018, and 2022.

(Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

Minister for Youth Policies

In 2008, Meloni was appointed Minister for Youth Policies in the fourth Berlusconi government. She held that position until late 2011 when Berlusconi was forced to step down amid public protests and financial crisis.

Brothers of Italy Leader

In late 2012, Meloni co-founded the rightwing Brothers of Italy (Fdl) party. She went on to become president of the party in 2014, and unsuccessfully ran in that year's European Parliament election. In late 2015, Meloni founded the conservative political committee Our Land, a parallel organization to Fdl. She subsequently ran for mayor in the 2016 Rome municipal election, but lost. Following the 2018 general election, Meloni led Fdl in opposition during the entirety of the 18th legislature. During this time, the party grew in popularity.

Prime Minister of Italy

After the 2022 Italian government crisis that led to the fall of the Draghi government, the centre-right coalition agreed that the leader of the party to receive the most votes in the upcoming general election would be the candidate for prime minister. In the election, which saw a record-low turnout, Fdl received a plurality of seats in Parliament, making Meloni the new prime minister of Italy. In the process, she became the country's first female prime minister. Some observers called her Italy's first far-right leader since Mussolini, whom Meloni has been known to praise.

Meloni's early actions during her premiership included implementing stronger anti-immigration policies and introducing constitutional reforms to bolster her powers as prime minister. She promoted, but never enacted, a naval blockade intended to curb illegal immigration.

Personal Life

In 2015, Meloni began dating television journalist Andrea Giambruno. The pair had a daughter in 2016 and separated in 2023.

Read more: Giorgia Meloni Net Worth

William Ruto is a Kenyan politician who has a net worth of $169 million. After years as a Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister, and Deputy President, Ruto won the Kenyan presidency in 2022 as leader of the United Democratic Alliance. He had previously supported other presidential candidates, including serving as Deputy President under Uhuru Kenyatta following their election victories in 2013 and 2017.

Early Life and Education

William Ruto was born on January 21, 1967, in Kamagut, Kenya, to Sarah and Daniel Cheruiyot. His family hails from the indigenous Kalenjin people of the Rift Valley Province. As a youth, Ruto was educated at Kamagut Primary School, Kerotet Primary School, Wareng Secondary School, and Kapsabet High School. For his higher education, he attended the University of Nairobi, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1990. Ruto went on to earn both MS and PhD degrees from the same university.

Career Beginnings

After graduating from college in 1990, Ruto became a teacher in Kenya's North Rift region. He taught for a few years and also served as a leader of the local church choir. In 1992, Ruto became involved in Kenyan national politics when he became the treasurer of the Youth for Kanu '92 lobby group, which supported the reelection of President Moi.

Member of Parliament

In 1997, Ruto ran for parliament as a representative of the Eldoret North constituency. He ended up winning in an upset over incumbent Reuben Chesire. Ruto served as a Member of Parliament under the Kenya African National Union from 1997 to 2007, and then under the Orange Democratic Movement from 2007 to 2013. He also served as KANU secretary general from 2005 to 2007.

Cabinet Positions

Ruto held his first Cabinet position in 2002, as Minister for Home Affairs under President Moi. Later, following the controversial results of the 2007 presidential election and amid the ensuing violent crisis, Ruto became Minister for Agriculture in the grand coalition Cabinet formed under President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga. He served in that role until 2010, when he became Minister for Higher Education.

Failed Presidential Campaigns

Under the Orange Democratic Movement, Ruto first ran for president in the 2007 general election. He ended up coming in third place for the nomination, behind Musalia Mudavadi and winner Raila Odinga. Ruto ran for president again in 2013, but withdrew his candidacy in favor of Uhuru Kenyatta.

Deputy President

In 2013, Ruto became the deputy president of Kenya under President Kenyatta. The following year, in October, he was named the acting president while Kenyatta was at the Hague appearing before the ICC. Ruto was reelected as deputy president in 2017 under the Jubilee Party. He served until he was elected president in 2022.

President of Kenya

In late 2020, Ruto joined the newly created United Democratic Alliance. As head of the party, he ran for president in the 2022 general election, and won. Since taking office, Ruto has focused on such areas as green energy, financial inclusion, and increased investment in Africa. However, he has also been controversial for certain policies and proposals, including his wish to raise taxes, which resulted in the deadly Finance Bill protests in 2024. Amid the unrest, Ruto fired most of his Cabinet, and police chief Japhet Koome resigned.

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Scandals

Ruto has been the subject of a number of scandals during his political career. Among them was a case of land grabbing in which he mysteriously acquired Weston Hotel land. Elsewhere, Ruto was charged with defrauding Kenya Pipeline Company through the questionable sale of land in Ngong Forest. He was ultimately acquitted. In 2013, Ruto was charged with illegally seizing land during the post-election violence of 2007-08, and was ordered to pay recompense to a victim. Another land controversy emerged in 2019 when Ruto was investigated for the mysterious acquisition of 900 acres owned by former Kenya vice president Joseph Murumbi.

In late 2010, Ruto was among six people summoned by the ICC for their involvement in the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007-08. He was accused of murder, the forcible transfer of population, and persecution. However, the case was dropped by the ICC in 2016. Among his other scandals, Ruto has been strongly linked to the 2016 assassination of wealthy businessman and outspoken government critic Jacob Juma. Various activists, politicians, and media figures have worked to corroborate this connection.

Personal Life

In 1991, Ruto married Rachel Chebet. Together, they have seven children, including PR person and philanthropist Charlene. An evangelical Christian, Ruto is a member of the Africa Inland Church. He also owns a chicken farm in his home village of Sugoi.

Read more: William Ruto Net Worth

Gordon Brown is a British politician who has a net worth of $5 million. Gordon Brown served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Before that, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007, and a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 2015. Brown is particularly renowned for his record-long chancellorship, during which he oversaw the longest period of economic growth in the history of Britain.

Early Life and Education

James Gordon Brown was born on February 20, 1951 in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland to Jessica and Church of Scotland minister John. With his brothers John and Andrew, he was raised in a manse in Kirkcaldy, Fife. Brown was educated at Kirkcaldy West Primary School and Kirkcaldy High School before being admitted to the University of Edinburgh at just 16 years of age. He graduated from Edinburgh with a degree in history in 1972. A decade later, Brown earned his PhD in history from the university.

Career Beginnings

Before joining the government, Brown lectured in politics at the Glasgow College of Technology from 1976 to 1980. In 1979, he ran his first campaign for Parliament, for Edinburgh South, but lost to Conservative candidate Michael Ancram. After that, in the early 1980s, Brown worked as a journalist at Scottish Television.

Member of Parliament

On his second campaign for Parliament, in 1983, Brown was elected as a Labour MP for Dunfermline East. Later in the decade, he served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury and then Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. In 1992, Brown became Shadow Chancellor. He remained a MP for Dunfermline East until 2005, and subsequently served as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath from 2005 to 2015.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Following the Labour Party's landslide victory in the 1997 general election, Brown was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Tony Blair. He held the position for a little over a decade, making him the longest-serving Chancellor in modern British history. During his very popular tenure, Brown oversaw major reforms to Britain's economy, including the granting of operational independence to the Bank of England, the expansion of the Treasury's powers to cover domestic policy, and the transference of banking supervision to the Financial Services Authority. He also devised the five economic tests, which kept the UK from adopting the euro. Although he presided over the longest period of economic growth in British history, Brown was not without criticism. Among his controversial moves were the abolition of advance corporation tax relief, the sale of UK gold reserves, and the removal of the 10% starting rate of income tax.

(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Prime Minister

The heavy favorite to succeed Blair as Prime Minister, Brown announced his bid for Leader of the Labour Party in the spring of 2007. He won the position that June, and following Blair's resignation, he became the new Prime Minister. During his premiership, which continued the New Labour movement he had fostered with Blair, Brown oversaw the introduction of rescue packages to keep banks afloat during the 2008 financial crisis. Also in 2008, his government passed the world's first Climate Change Act. In 2009, Brown began an inquiry into Britain's role in the ongoing Iraq War, and in 2010 he introduced the Equality Act to update and supplement prior anti-discrimination laws.

Although Brown was popular right after he became Prime Minister, he was criticized when he failed to call a snap election in 2007, and by 2008 the popularity of the Labour Party had declined amid the Great Recession. This culminated in the 2010 general election, in which Labour lost 91 seats and there was a hung parliament. The Conservative Party, which had won the most seats, formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, and Conservative Leader David Cameron became the new Prime Minister. In the Labour Party, Brown was succeeded as Leader by Ed Miliband.

Post-premiership

After leaving office, Brown returned to the backbenches and continued serving as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath until 2015. He also wrote the book "Beyond the Crash," about the effects and possible legacy of the 2008 financial crisis. In other major activities, Brown played an instrumental role in the campaign to maintain the UK during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Elsewhere, he served as the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and as the World Health Organization's Ambassador for Global Health Financing. In 2024, Brown was awarded the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles II for his contributions to public and charitable services.

Personal Life

Earlier in his life, Brown dated journalist Sheena McDonald and Margarita, Crown Princess of Romania. In 2000, he married Sarah Macaulay, with whom he has two sons named John and James. The couple had previously had a daughter, Jennifer, who died ten days after her premature birth.

Read more: Gordon Brown Net Worth

Claudia Sheinbaum is a Mexican politician and scientist who has a net worth of $200 thousand. Claudia Sheinbaum serves as the president of Mexico, having been elected in 2024 as the country's first female president. A member of the National Regeneration Movement, she previously served as the head of government of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023. As president, Sheinbaum has focused on strengthening and codifying social programs, reforming the energy sector, and raising the minimum wage.

Salary

As President of Mexico, her net monthly salary is 134,290 MXN (~USD 7,800/month). That equates to an annual net salary of about 1.61 million MXN (~USD 93,000)

Financial Disclosure

In her most recent financial disclosure filed on May 30, 2025, Claudia Sheinbaum reported owning an 88-square-meter apartment purchased in 1999 for 275,000 MXN (approximately $15,000 USD), a 2013 Chevrolet Aveo valued at around 164,900 MXN (roughly $9,000 USD), and three accounts with BBVA—a checking account, a savings/investment account, and a credit card with no debt. She also declared an 8% ownership stake in two manufacturing companies, though she reported receiving no income or dividends from these holdings.

Early Life and Education

Claudia Sheinbaum was born on June 24, 1962 in Mexico City, Mexico as the second of three children of Mexican Jewish parents Annie and Carlos, a biologist and a chemist, respectively. Her older brother is Julio and her younger sister is Adriana. For her higher education, Sheinbaum attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in science. She completed her PhD thesis in energy engineering at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, and received her degree in 1995.

Academic Career

After earning her PhD, Sheinbaum joined the faculty of the Institute of Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Later, following her early career in the government, she returned to UNAM and began publishing articles in scientific journals. Overall, Sheinbaum has co-authored over 100 articles and two books.

Start of Political Career

While a student at UNAM in 1989, Sheinbaum joined the Party of the Democratic Revolution. She had her first position in government from 2000 to 2006, as secretary of the environment of the Federal District. During her tenure, Sheinbaum oversaw the introduction of the bus rapid transit system Metrobús.

Mayor of Tlalpan

In 2014, Sheinbaum joined the National Regeneration Movement, a leftwing splinter movement founded by future Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The following year, Sheinbaum was nominated by the party as a mayoral candidate for the Mexico City borough of Tlalpan. Running on a platform that focused on improving public services, creating new social programs, and fighting corruption, she won the mayorship with 29.48% of the vote. Sheinbaum was mayor of Tlalpan from 2015 through 2017, when she resigned to run for the head of government of Mexico City.

Head of Government of Mexico City

Sheinbaum launched her candidacy for the head of government of Mexico City in 2018, and won the election with 47.08% of the vote. When she was sworn in, she became the first woman and first person from a Jewish background to assume the position. During her tenure as head of government from 2018 to 2023, Sheinbaum oversaw improvements to security, education, social programs, and public transportation and infrastructure. She also tackled such crises as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 collapse of the Mexico City Metro overpass.

President of Mexico

In mid-2023, Sheinbaum announced her intention to resign as head of government of Mexico City to run for president of Mexico. After winning the vote from the Juntos Hacemos Historia coalition, she launched her campaign in March of 2024. In the election in June, Sheinbaum defeated her opponent Xóchitl Gálvez in a landslide, achieving the highest number of votes ever recorded for a candidate in the history of Mexico. She became the first woman to be elected president of the county. Sheinbaum began her term by enacting a number of constitutional reforms, including codifying social programs into the Constitution. She also strengthened state control over the energy sector, raised the minimum wage, accelerated the war on drugs and crime, and began further expansions to Mexico's passenger rail system.

Honors and Awards

Sheinbaum has earned honors for both her academic contributions and her global leadership. In 1995, she received the Jesus Silva Herzog Award from UNAM for her contributions to the field of economics. Later, in 2001, Sheinbaum was honored with the UNAM Prize for Young Academics. In 2007, she was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change team that shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. After becoming president of Mexico, Sheinbaum was given the Nobel Sustainability Trust's Sustainability Medal for her work addressing climate change and sustainable development.

Personal Life

Sheinbaum married her first husband, Carlos Ímaz Gispert, in 1987. He went on to co-found and lead the Party of the Democratic Revolution, and later he was involved in the so-called Videoscandals of 2004. Sheinbaum and Ímaz had a daughter named Mariana, and Sheinbaum also helped raise Ímaz's son from a previous marriage, Rodrigo. The couple eventually divorced in 2016. Sheinbaum subsequently began dating Bank of Mexico financial risk specialist Jesús María Tarriba Unger, whom she had first met in college. The pair married in late 2023.

Read more: Claudia Sheinbaum Net Worth