The New UK Prime Minister's Wealth Exceeds Queen Elizabeth II's; A Look at the Richest People in the UK in 2022

Rishi Sunak came under scrutiny after being appointed the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Besides being the youngest Prime Minister in over 200 years, Sunak is also said to be the first resident of 10 Downing Street richer than the British Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.

According to *The Washington Post*, the British public is accustomed to being led by elites, such as Boris Johnson, but Sunak is not just wealthy; he is extraordinarily wealthy, leading to public questioning of whether his vast fortune makes him too rich to be Prime Minister.

His supporters argue that his background as a banker and years spent generating wealth qualify him to lead the country through these economically turbulent times.

Sunak, a former banker, and his wife, Indian tech heiress Akshata Murty, are estimated to have a combined wealth of around £730 million (US$830 million or approximately Rp12.8 trillion, assuming an exchange rate of Rp17,627), according to *The Sunday Times Rich List*. For comparison, Queen Elizabeth II was estimated to have around £370 million ($420 million) on this year's list.

The couple's wealth primarily stems from Murty's stake in her father's company, Infosys. She also owns the startup incubator Catamaran Ventures UK and holds shares in around half a dozen other companies. The couple owns at least three homes in the UK, as well as a Santa Monica, California property worth around US$6 million.

Sri and Gopi Hinduja were named the wealthiest people in the UK, with an estimated fortune of £28.5 billion, the largest ever recorded in the 34-year history of the rich list. Sir James Dyson came in second with a wealth of £23 billion.

The following is a list of the wealthiest people in the UK in 2022:

1. Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family £28.472 billion
2. Sir James Dyson and family £23 billion
3. David and Simon Reuben and family £22.265 billion
4. Sir Leonard Blavatnik £20bn
5. Guillaume Pousaz £19.259 billion
6. Lakshmi Mittal and family £17 billion
7. Guy, George, Alannah and Galen Weston and family £13.5 billion
8. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing £12 billion
9. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho £11.421 billion
10. Michael Platt £10 billion

(read: Liz Truss Became the UK Prime Minister with the Shortest Term in History)