Top 10 Richest Politicians in The World

Power and money is a deadly combination. However, it seems rather odd for democratic leaders to have a mammoth fortune as they make decisions for the common tax-payers.

This doesn’t stop business tycoons to pursue their political aspirations and trying their hands at running a state or a country. Apart from this there are royal Kings, Sultans and Sheikhs for whom running a country is a family business. Here is a list of top 10 richest politicians in the world 2018.

10. Bidzina Ivanishvili (Net Worth: $4.5 billion)

Bidzina Ivanishvili is Georgian businessman and politician. He is the former prime Minister of Georgia. He was elected as prime Minister in October 2012 but he stepped down 13 months later after his party won the presidential elections. He founded Georgian dreams party which won the 2012 parliamentary elections. He is known as a reclusive billionaire of Georgia. He has built his fortune with Russian assets. Part of his wealth comes from a private zoo and art-filled glass fortress.

9. Silvio Berlusconi (Net Worth: $7.8 billion)

Silvio Berluscone is an Italian politician. Having started his career as vacuum cleaner seller, His current net worth is $7.8 billion. Admired for his hard work and dedication he built his wealth through his own efforts. Berlusconi served as Prime Minister of Italy in four government terms and resigned in 2011. He is also a media tycoon and owns Mediaset S.P.A – the largest broadcasting Company in the country. He has also owned the Italian football club A.C. Milan from 1986 to 2017. The billionaire is included among the top ten of the wealthiest politicians in the world.

8. Serge Dassault (Net Worth: $8 billion)

The French hair, politician and business executive inherited the Dassault Group from his father Marcel Dassault. He serves as the chairman of Dassault group. Serge Dassault is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement political party and known to be a conservative politician. He is well admired and respected in his country for the social work and welfare activities he does. Also because of his affluent background he has achieved quite a dominant position. His net worth of $8 billion makes him include in the top tier of wealth in the world.

7. Mikhail Prokhorov (Net Worth: $8.9 billion)

Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhoro is a Russian billionaire and politician. He is the owner of the American basketball team The Brooklyn Nets.

He is the former President of Onexim group and former Chairman of Polyus Gold–Russia’s largest gold producer. In June, 2011, he quit both these positions to enter politics. A year later, he announced the establishment of a new Russian political party called the Party of Civic Platform. Mikhail Prokhorov is not only a self-made billionaire but also known as one of the most handsome billionaire in the world. Interestingly he is also famous as the most eligible bachelor.

6. Zong Qinghou (Net Worth: $10.8 billion)

Zong Qinghou is a Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Hangzhu Wahaha Group, the leading beverage company in China. He serves as the Chairman and CEO of the company. A delegate to the Chinese National People’s Congress his estimated net worth is $10 billion, and he is included in the top 50 richest men in the world. Despite all this enormous wealth that he has he is known to lead a simple life and spends about $20 for his daily expenses. He is more inclined towards developing country’s natural resources for the benefit of motherland.

5. Savitri Jindal (Net Worth: $13.2 billion)

The richest woman in India Savitri Jindal was born in Assam, India. She married Oam Prakash jindal who was the founder of the Jindal group. She became the chairperson of the group after her husband died in 2005. After she took the charge of the company, the revenues multi folded. Before losing her seat in elections held in 2014, She was a minister in Haryana government and also a member of Haryana Legislative Assembly.

Interestingly she is also included in the list of world’s richest mother having nine children. She loves talking about her children and also continues doing her husband’s public work.

4. Vladimir Putin (Net Worth: 18.4 billion)

Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician. He is the current president of Russian Federation. With over two decades in power he has served the country thrice, twice as the Prime minister and once as the president.

Known for his extra-ordinary life-style Putin possesses 58 planes and helicopters, Yachts, lavish palaces and country retreats. He is speculated to have wealth that could actually surpass the wealth of Bill Gates- Officially the richest man in the world. He has also been awarded Time magazine’s Person of the year in 2007.

3. Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Net Worth: $19 billion)

Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the second president of United Arab Emirates and among world’s wealthiest monarchs. He is the Emir of Abu Dhabi and the supreme commander of the union Defence Force. HH also is the Chairman of The world’s most influential Sovereign wealth fund named The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

2. Hassanal Bolkiah (Net Worth: $20 billion)

Haji Hassanal Bolkiah is the 29th and current Sultan of Brunei. He is also the first Prime Minister of Brunei. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has been the head of state since 1967 and has been world’s richest for a long time. In late 1980s, he was ranked as the richest person in the world but later in 1990s he lost the title to Bill gates. His estimated worth is $20 billion and is among the richest people in the world.

He is one of the last remaining Monarchs of the world and his wealth come from natural oil and gas resources. His Sultanate is one of the world’s most affluent societies where people do not even have to pay any kind of tax. He not only is wealthy and famous but is also well versed with the art of splurging. His love for luxury cars knows no boundaries and in his collection he has the most expensive, fastest, rarest and unique cars. His $5 billion worth car collection has 7,000 high end cars including 500 Rolls Royce among others.

1. Michael Bloomberg (Net Worth: $47.5 billion)

An American businessman, author, politician and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg is currently the richest politician in the world. After graduating from Harvard Business School he started his career in 1966 with an entry level job at an investment bank Salomon Brothers. He was fired 15 years later when the company was bought by Phibro Corporation. He went on to set up his own company Innovative Market system which was later renamed Bloomberg LP–A Financial information and Media Company in 1987. AS per Forbes magazine his real time worth is $47.6 billion.

He has served as the Mayor of New York City for three consecutive terms. He is reported to own at least six homes in London and Bermuda, Colo and Vail among other fashionable locations.

Some of these rich and powerful have built their fortune by legitimate means and acquired power by strong will and sheer hard work while some are born with a silver spoon and were fortunate to have it all even before arriving in this world. Then there are some whose billions seem to have come from a large share of their country’s wealth and that is rather worrisome. Now it is up to you to decide about how you feel about these billionaires with political power.