The Indian-origin politician Rishi Sunak officially became Prime Minister of the UK on 24 October 2022. He is the first person of colour to take the position and he replaced Liz Truss who resigned after 45 days in office. The forty-two-year-old leader Sunak is the youngest Prime Minister in over two centuries after Boris Johnson dropped his comeback bid. As this leader of the Conservative Party has become a high-profile person, what do we know about his life?
Rishi Sunak was born on 12 May 1980 in Southampton, Hampshire, South East England, with Southeast African-born Hindu parents. He is the eldest of three siblings, with a father doctor and a pharmacist mother.
His brother Sanjay, who was born in 1982, is a psychologist. Her sister Raakhi Williams was born in 1985 and works as head of strategy and planning at the UN global fund for education in New York.
Though Sunak grew up in a middle-class household, the former Chancellor’s parents saved to send him to Winchester College, one of the most expensive schools in Britain. He was a head boy in this boys' boarding school.
The UK's 57th Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is an alumnus of Lincoln College, Oxford. He studied philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE).
During his summer holidays, the British politician Rishi Sunak made extra money as a waiter at an Indian restaurant in Southampton.
After graduating from Oxford, the UK's new Prime Minister was awarded a Fulbright scholarship from Stanford University. As a Fulbright Scholar, Sunak studied business school which changed his life.
While Rishi Sunak was studying at Stanford University, he met his future wife, Akshata Murty who was his university classmate. This 42-years old fashion designer and businesswoman is an heiress of an Indian billionaire.
After their marriage in Bangalore in 2009, the couple had two daughters. The eldest is Krishna, born in 2011 while Anoushka the youngest was born in 2013.
The affluent Rishi Sunak's daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, attended the Glendower Prep school in South Kensington. This private all-girls primary school encourages pupils to become creative and independent.
The Sunak family lives at a manor house in a tiny village, Kirby Sigston in the Hambleton area, North Yorkshire. They are also the owners of a flat in South Kensington, a penthouse apartment in Santa Monica, California, and a mews house in Kensington in central London.
Between 2001 and 2004, Sunak worked as an Analyst for the investment bank Goldman Sachs after graduating. He also was also a hedge fund partner of The Children's Investment Fund Management and Theleme Partners.
The former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is a cricket and tennis fan. Sunak is also a dog lover who has Labrador Retriever called Nova.
In 2010, Rishi Sunak joined his former colleagues in California at Theleme Partners. In the same year, he was also a director of Catamaran Ventures, an investment owned by his father-in-law.
In his early political career, Sunak was elected as the Conservative Candidate for Richmond (Yorks) in October 2014. He defeated the Chief Whip Wendy Morton.
From 24 July 2019 to 13 February 2020, Rishi Sunak was Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He was appointed by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
After holding the Chief Secretary to the Treasury post, Sunak was selected as Chancellor of the Exchequer. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022.
Conservative MP Rishi Sunak has risen in his political career though he entered politics in 2014. On 25 October 2022, he become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Conservative Party leader.
After Edward Smith Stanley 14th Earl of Derby,Prime Minister between 1852 and 1868, Rishi Sunak is the richest British prime minister. His net worth is estimated at £730 million.
Sunak and the political editor of The Spectator magazine, James Forsyth are close friends. They have been friends since they were in school.
