Who is Rishi Sunak?

Meet 10 Downing Street's newest tenant. 

Meet 10 Downing Street's newest tenant. 

Britain’s incoming prime minister Rishi Sunak said he was humbled and honoured to be the new Conservative Party leader but warned “there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge”.

In a nervous and stilted 84-second address, Mr Sunak said:

“I pledge that I will serve you with integrity and humility, and I will work day-in, day-out, to deliver for the British people.”

He had begun his speech thanking outgoing prime minister Liz Truss, the nation’s shortest-serving prime minister, for serving with grace under exceptionally difficult circumstances.

Britain’s wealthiest prime minister to date, Sunak emphasises he is a low-tax, high-growth Conservative. He has also indicated a willingness to cut defence spending, an intention to support Britain’s energy independence by 2045, and has publicly campaigned to fine people who miss NHS appointments. 

How old is Rishi Sunak?

Sunak is 42 years-old. This is about two years younger than Tony Blair (Labour) and David Cameron (Conservative) were when they became Prime Ministers of the UK in 1994 and 2010 respectively.

Rishi Sunak arrives to take part in a Conservative Party Hustings event in Leeds.

Where did he go to school and university?

The eldest of three children, Rishi went to a private boarding school in Hampshire, Winchester College. He was later awarded a first-class degree at University of Oxford where he studied politics, economics and philosophy. 

It was at Stanford University where he studied a master’s of business administration that he met his future wife Akshata Murty. 

How did Rishi Sunak vote in Brexit?

Sunak voted to leave the EU, and has almost always voted for pro-Brexit policies in Parliament, including voting to leave without a withdrawal agreement in April 2019.

What job did Rishi Sunak hold before becoming a politician?

After graduating, Sunak took up a role at Goldman Sachs, and later as a partner at the hedge fund firms the Children's Investment Fund Management and Theleme Partners. 

After graduating, Sunak took up a role at Goldman Sachs.

What roles has he had in parliament?

Sunak held a role as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the government's chief financial minister, just prior to being voted in as prime minister. 

Before that, he was the chief secretary to the treasury (2019-2020), and held the role as parliamentary under secretary of state 

Chief Secretary to the Treasury: 2019 to 2020

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Local Government): 2018 to 2019

Who are his parents?

Sunak’s Indian parents moved from East Africa to Southampton in 1980. His grandparents were from Punjab. His father worked as a GP and his mother ran a pharmacy. On his official website, he says “I grew up watching my parents serve our local community with dedication”. 

He told the BBC in an interview he spent weekends at the Hindu temple and he is still a practising Hindu. 

He is the first person of colour to be British Prime Minister. 

Who is Rishi Sunak’s wife?

Aksharta Murty is the daughter of an Indian billionaire NR Narayana Murthy. She uses a different spelling of her surname from her father, dropping the ‘h’. Ms Murty reportedly has a 0.91% stake in her father’s software company Infosys. That small stake is reportedly worth  £700m.

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Murty operated her own fashion label in her name, Akshata Designs, which specialised in working with local artists in India. The label closed in 2012.

Now, Murty is the director of a venture capital firm her father founded in 2010, Catamaran Ventures.

Billionaire NR Narayana Murthy

Earlier in 2022 it was publicly revealed that Murty was not paying any tax in the United Kingdom as she was a non-domiciled resident. Without that status, it is reported Murty would have been liable for more than £20m of UK taxes. Her spokesperson announced she would begin to pay UK taxes after public outcry and political pressure on her husband Rishi Sunak.

Sunak and Murty married in 2009 in a two-day ceremony in Bangalore, India. 

How much money do they have?

With a net worth of $1.3bn (£730m) the new Prime Minister isn’t short on cash. 

Despite an impressive career in politics, Sunak’s money stems from his father in law. His wife, Maksharta Murty, 42, is the daughter of Indian tech billionaire Narayana Murty - who is often described as the Bill Gates of southern Asia. 

Murty owns 0.93% of the company in her own name - a stake worth about $1.2bn (£690m). 

How many children does Rishi Sunak and his wife have?

The couple’s two children, Krishna and Anoushka, appeared with Sunak on the campaign trail in his leadership contest against Liz Truss this year.

With The Times