If you think being a leader of a nation will make you rich beyond imagination, you thought wrong. Well, of course there are those who have gained unbelievable wealth, if you consider their inherited and accumulated assets. Unsurprisingly, many of their countries’ citizens lead much, much humbler lives.
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has a staggering amount of wealth, more than the kings in the Arab world. Bisnis.com states the following list of people as the top 5 richest world leaders:
1. President of Russia, Vladimir Putin – USD$40 billion
He took over the president’s post in 2012. Before this, he only earned USD$80,000 and since then, he has owned shares in many of Russia’s industrial giants making him the wealthiest leader on this list. He owns the house that was built as the official home for the country’s leader. One of the houses in Praskoveevka near the Black Sea alone is worth USD$1 billion.
2. King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej – USD$30 billion
The people of Thailand adore him. He has been ruling the country since 1946 making him the longest ruling monarch alive. Bhumibol always has his people’s interest at heart in his overseeing the nation’s affairs making him the second wealthiest on the list.
3. Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – USD$20 billion
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was crowned as Sultan of Brunei after his father relinquished the position in 1967. One of the key components of his accumulated wealth comes from the string of exclusive car manufacturing plants he owns. His Highness also owns a 24-carat gold plated Rolls Royce.
4. King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al Saud – USD$18 billion
The late Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al Saud came third in the list of world’s richest kings. He was crowned the ruler of Saudi Arabia when his half brother, Raja Fadh passed away and was given the responsibility to look oversee the two major mosques in his kingdom.
Throughout his reign, he has made many transformations especially in making significant progress for women’s right. King Abdullah is known for his kindness and generosity because the world saw him offer a helping hand to countries that were affected by natural disasters like the earthquake in China in 2008 and during the Katrina hurricane disaster in New Orleans.
5. President of UAE, Khalifa Zayed Al Nahyan – USD$15 billion
Khalifa Zayed Al Nahyan took over after the passing of his father in 2004. He also leads the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and after the calculation has been done, the value of his wealth stood at USD$150 billion. Among the initiative that he helped put in place include a hospital in the USA and schools in Wales.
Source: www.malaysiandigest.com