How old is Rishi Sunak and what did he do before becoming Chancellor?
Rishi Sunak has made a name for himself since becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer in February 2020, managing the UK’s finances during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Sunak is the man behind the furlough scheme, Eat Out To Help Out, and later today (March 23) he will deliver his Spring Statement, as people across the UK feel the impact of the increasing cost of living.
But what did Sunak do before becoming the Chancellor?
Here’s everything you need to know.
How old is Chancellor Rishi Sunak?
Mr Sunak is currently 41 years old – his birthday is May 12, 1980.
He was born to mum Usha, a chemist worker, and dad Yashvir, an NHS GP, in Southampton.
How tall is Rishi Sunak?
As we usually see Rishi when he emerges from 11 Downing Street with his red Chancellor’s briefcase or folder in hand – often people wonder exactly how tall he is.
It’s not 100% confirmed, but Rishi Sunak is reportedly 5 foot 6 inches tall, or 1.7m.
That’s just four inches smaller than Boris Johnson, who stands at 5 foot 10 inches.
What is Rishi Sunak’s career background?
Our current Chancellor has had quite an international career so far – with ventures in the UK, US, India, and beyond.
Mr Sunak studied at the prestigious Winchester College Oxford – where he read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
He then went to California to earn an MBA as a Fulbright Scholar – perhaps the most well-respected education exchange programme around – at the Ivy League college Stanford University.
However, he was soon back in the UK working at investment bank Goldman Sachs.
He moved into hedge fund management, and became a partner at The Children’s Investment Fund Management.
In 2010, when he was around age 29, he helped to start a private investment firm called Theleme Partners.
The now-chancellor was also a director of Catamaran Ventures, owned by his father-in-law, Indian businessman and billionaire N. R. Narayana Murthy.
He became a politician for the Conservative party in 2014, ultimately taking over the Richmord (Yorks) seat held by former Tory leader Lord William Hague in 2015.
Mr Sunak was also re-elected in 2017. He was clearly popular in his constituency at the time – holding on to a margin of more than 27,000 votes.
Since becoming Chancellor in 2020, perhaps his most famous decisions have been the announcement of the furlough scheme – and the Eat Out To Help Out scheme – both during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Who is Rishi Sunak’s wife?
Chancellor Rishi Sunak met his wife – Akshata Murthy – when he was studying at Stanford University.
The couple wed in 2009 in Akshata’s home city of Bangalore in southern India – meaning they’ve been married for around 13 years now.
Akshata’s has a famous father, the Indian billionaire N.R. Narayana Murthy, with whom Rishi is in business at Catamaran Ventures.
Murthy co-founded IT company Infosys – and is officially one of India’s richest men.
Forbes puts his astronomical net worth at $4.3 billion (that’s £3.1 billion, by the way).
Askhata’s mother is named Sudha Murthy, and has been married to N.R. since 1978. She also has a brother, Rohan, who is a junior fellow at Harvard University in Massachusetts.
Wife Akshata used to work in finance and marketing – but later turned to fashion design and runs her own label, Akshata Designs.
The couple share young daughters, named Krishna and Anoushka.
Rishi once joked on his website that his two girls keep him ‘busy and entertained’ when he’s not working.
What is Rishi Sunak’s net worth?
According to The Sun, he is thought to be the richest sitting MP, worth a reported £200 million.
The Times report that Mr Sunak and his wife share a property portfolio spanning across the UK and the US, which is collectively worth around £10 million.
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