Donald Trump has been very much the man in the news these past few weeks, as he unveils his radical political agenda, seeking to transform not just America but the world as well. The US President has set tongues wagging, as he sets about streamlining government agencies and shaking up the status-quo.
It remains to be seen how he will be remembered by history, but one thing is beyond dispute: Donald J Trump is to date the richest man to ever become President of the United States. Forbes magazine has estimated his net worth to be US$6.1 billion (£4.9bn) as of December last year.
His wealth consists of his earnings from real estate investments, as well as his stake in the Trump Media & Technology Group.
Another world leader not short of a penny or two is China’s leader Xi Jinping, who is believed to have a fortune of $1.5billion (£1.2bn).
Officially, China’s President earns a rather modest annual wage of $22,000 (£18k) per year.
However, Xi Jinping and his family were revealed in 2012 to have hidden investments in multiple holding companies.
These included a $244million share of property investment firm Shenzhen Yuanwei, the equivalent of $334m (£270m) in today’s money.
Xi Jinping is believed to have had a net worth of $1.5billion (£1.2bn). The true extent of his wealth, though, is unknown.
There is one world leader whose total wealth far outstrips both that of Donald Trump and the Chinese President.
That man is Vladimir Putin, Russia’s all-powerful ruler, who is said to have a fortune of $200billion (£162bn).
That figure was cited by Bill Browder, the former head of Hermitage Capital, during testimony given under oath to the US Senate Judiciary Committee.
Last January, however, Russia’s Central Election Commission published data on Putin’s income, which showed the Kremlin boss made just 67.6 million roubles (£585k) over a six year period.
His earnings between 2018 and 2024 were derived from his salary, income from securities and bank deposits, military and civilian pension, as well as the proceeds of property sales.
