Rishi Sunak is been all over the news as he become the 56th Prime Minister of the UK and he is the first British Asian to become the PM. On 25th October 2022, Rishi Sunak was appointed as the Prime Minister. On 24th October he was elected unopposed as the leader of the Conservative Party which is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom.
Let’s see the top 10 unknown and interesting facts about the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom:
1. First Hindu-Origin Prime Minister :
Rishi’s parents migrated to the UK from East Africa in 1960. He was born in Southampton in 1980 in a Punjabi descent family. He is a Hindu devoted and took the oath as an MP on Bhagavad Gita.
His father is a general practitioner in National Health Service and his mother is the director and pharmacist at the Sunak Pharmacy.
2. Youngest Prime Minister of the UK:
At the age of 42, he is the youngest Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 200 years. William Pitt who took this position at the age of 24 in 1783 is still on top.
3. Also known as the ‘Richest MP’:
Rishi Sunak is one of the wealthiest politicians in the UK. He is married to Akshata Murthy daughter of Narayana Murthy who is the founder of Infosys, a £630-million company. Akshata has a 0.93% stake in Infosys. She is a famous fashion designer. They both combined have a net worth of 700 million pounds.
It is also said that Rishi Sunak is richer than King Charles III. Rishi has twice the estimated net worth of King Charles £300m – £350m wealth.
4. Studied at both Oxford University and Stanford University:
After completing his studies at Winchester College he read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford, graduating in 2001. During this time in university, he did an internship at Conservative Campaign Headquarters.
In 2006, he gained MBA from Stanford University.
5. Worked as a waiter:
During his summer holidays, he worked as a waiter in a curry house in Southampton.
6. He once sneaked a television in school to watch Euro ’96:
Rishi Sunak was always a decent boy. He mentioned how his parents made sacrifices to send him to Winchester college and how he embarrassed he felt to wear a secondhand uniform. But he was a bright student and became a head boy at Winchester. He remembers when he once sneaked a portable TV in school to not miss Euro 96 matches.
7. He is a huge Southampton FC fan:
Born in Southampton. Rishi is a dedicated fan of his hometown Southampton Football Club. While growing up he idolized Matt Le Tissier and was a huge fan of him.
Apart from Football, he enjoys cricket, exercising, watching movies, and eating sweets and cookies.
8. He is a Coca-Cola addict:
Once on a podcast, Rishi admitted that he has seven fillings in his teeth due to his Coca-Cola addiction. He is a huge Coca-Cola fanboy and used to consume a lot when he was younger. Now he is allowed to drink only once a week.
“I’m a total Coke addict,” he said at one point in the podcast, before jokingly clarifying that he meant the fizzy drink. He doesn’t like Diet Coke and Coke Zero. He likes Coca-Cola sold in Mexico because it is still produced using cane sugar.
9. He never wanted to be a Prime Minister:
While serving as Chancellor alongside Boris Johnson, in 2020, he was asked if he is after the top job. He replied, “God, no. Definitely not, seeing what the Prime Minister has to deal with.’
He didn’t want to be the Prime Minister back then. But now, he has accepted the responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What nationality is Rishi Sunak?
Rishi Sunak has British Nationality. He practices Hinduism but was born in the UK so his nationality is British.
2. What is the religion of Rishi Sunak?
Rishi Sunak is a Hindu. When he was elected as an MP he took an oath by placing his hand on Bhagavad Gita.
3. Who is Rishi Sunak’s wife?
Rishi Sunak married Akshata Murty the daughter of Narayana Murthy (Founder of Infosys) in 2009. He met her during his studies at Stanford University. The couple has two daughters Krishna and Anoushka Sunak.
4. Rishi Sunak Net Worth?
The estimated net worth of Akshata Murty and Rishi Sunak is more than 730 million pounds which is double King Charles III’s net worth. They are 222nd richest in the whole country according to the Sunday Times UK Rich List.