With power come not
only the fame but also, more importantly, the fortune. Heads of state or
government are supposed to be the servants of the people, but it may be
an extremely difficult and even thankless job. Those who serve should
have a real and sincere love for his mother country to perform such a
role.
Real servants should be
one with his people and must know what the ordinary man is feeling. That
is why a lot of admiration comes the way of Jose Mujica, the President
of Uruguay who has eschewed all the perks of his power to live with and
among ordinary Uruguayans. But sometimes, it may also help to be rich
because it will allow the person to focus on his job without worrying
about money to provide for his family.
And money worries, these
heads of state and government do not have. Here now is a list of the top
10 richest presidents in the world.
10. Sebastian Pinera, President of Chile – $2.4 billion
Sebastian Pinera came to power in 2010 after being elected as the first billionaire to be sworn in as President of Chile. He owned Chilevision, a terrestrial television channel that broadcasted all over Chile. He also owned 27 percent of LAN Airlines after purchasing the shares of Scandinavian Airlines in the former state-owned firm in 1994. He also held a 13 percent share in Colo Colo, one of the country’s most popular football clubs. He was also responsible for introducing credit cards to Chile in the 70s.
9. Mohammed VI, King of Morocco – $2.5 billion
Mohammed VI became the
King of Morocco in 1999 after the death of his father. He drew a lot of
attention after promising to tackle the triple issues of poverty,
corruption and human rights violations. These have yet to be solved,
however, as evidenced by widespread protests in 2011. Corruption issues
have also led to the King himself. He holds significant amount of shares
in Omnium Nord Africain, or the ONA Group, that owns diverse
investments in retail, financial services, mining and other sectors.
8. Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar – $2.5 billion
The ruler of Qatar comes
from the Al Thani dynasty that began its reign in 1850 when Muhammad bin
Thani ruled the country. The family comes from one of the largest
tribes in the Arabian Peninsula called the Banu Tamim. The current Emir
came to power in 1995 after deposing his father. He was one of the
primary backers of the Al Jazeera news network, even providing a $137
million loan to help the company in its first years of operation. The
Emir is also known as a huge football fan, having made bids to take over
clubs like Manchester United and Rangers FC.
7. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechstenstein – $4 billion
His full name can be a
mouthful: Johannes Hans Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d’ Aviano
Pius von und zu Liechtenstein. He owns the LGT banking group. His
family also owns an extensive collection of art pieces. These are
displayed for public viewing at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna. He
is considered as the wealthiest monarch in all of Europe. He holds broad
powers as head of state, including the ability to introduce legislation
and the power to veto laws passed by the parliament.
6. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai – $4 billion
As the ruler of Dubai,
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is also automatically the Prime Minister
and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. He came to power in
2006, succeeding his older brother Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He
owns 99.67 percent of Dubai Holding. He is also responsible for the
construction of landmarks like the Palm Islands, Burj Al Arab and the
Burj Al Khalifa. His family’s total wealth is estimated to be around $44
billion.
5. Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates – $15 billion
As the Emir of Abu Dhabi,
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is also the President of the United Arab
Emirates. He took over as President in 2004 after the death of his
father. He is the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. His
family has an estimated wealth of more than $150 billion. He is known
for his philanthropic work, making donations to orphanages in
Turkmenistan, hospitals in the US and schools in Wales.
4. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia – $18 billion
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al
Saud is the third richest monarch in the world. He became King of Saudi
Arabia in 2005 after the death of his half brother King Fahd. As the
Saudi King, he is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Under his
regime, the country has slowly been undertaking reforms, including
allowing more rights to women. He is known for his immediate response to
international disasters, like the 2008 earthquake in China and
Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
3. Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei – $20 billion
Hassanal Bolkiah’s
complete name is Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni
Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien. He
became the Sultan of Brunei after the abdication of his father in 1967.
He has one of the largest car collections in the world, with some
companies making new cars exclusively for him. He even has a Rolls Royce
coated with 24K gold.
2. Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand – $30 billion
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the
beloved King of Thailand. He is the longest currently serving head of
state and the longest reigning monarch in the history of his country. He
has been the country’s King since 1946. He has made generous
contributions to various sectors of Thai society. He is considered to be
the richest royal in the world.
1. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia – $40 billion
Vladimir Putin has been the Russian President since 2012, though he also served in the post from 2000 to 2008. Though his reported income is only $80,000, Putin is said to be a multi-billionaire because of his stakes in various Russian companies. He has had several houses built ostensibly as official residences of the head of state or government. One in Praskoveevka near the Black Sea is said to cost around a billion dollars.
