Rishi Sunak Returns to Goldman Sachs, Donates Salary to Charity

Rishi Sunak, the former British prime minister, has recently rejoined Goldman Sachs as a senior advisor, marking a significant return to the investment firm where he began his career. Sunak, who is known for his substantial wealth, has committed to donating his salary from this new role to The Richmond Project, a charity he co-founded with his wife, Akshata Murty, aimed at improving numeracy skills in the U.K.

Sunak's net worth, along with his wife's, is estimated to be around £640 million ($871 million), making them one of the wealthiest families to have resided at 10 Downing Street. A significant portion of their wealth comes from Murty's 0.94% stake in Infosys, the Indian IT giant co-founded by her billionaire father. This stake is valued at approximately $740 million, constituting about 85% of the couple's total net worth. Additionally, Murty has invested in various British start-ups, further adding to their financial portfolio.

In addition to his new role at Goldman Sachs, Sunak has also been earning from speaking engagements. In April and May of this year, he received a total of £505,661 ($668,000) for three separate appearances, including a speaking engagement for Bain Capital. Throughout his decade of service in the British parliament, Sunak earned a salary ranging between £66,365 and £86,584, with his 2023-2024 payout being approximately $110,000. His role as prime minister further enhanced his wealth, with earnings of £139,000 (about $167,000) from his salary as a member of parliament, finance minister, and prime minister, and £2.1 million (about $2.5 million) from investments.

Sunak's latest gig at Goldman Sachs is a full-circle moment, as he began his career at the firm as an intern and later as an analyst. Before entering politics, he served as a partner at two other hedge funds and hit multimillionaire status in his late 20s after a lucrative bet in the buildup to the global financial crisis. In a joint commencement speech with Murty at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Sunak emphasized the importance of balancing data analysis with intuition for success.

Despite his significant wealth and new role at Goldman Sachs, Sunak continues to work within the government as the representative for the northern U.K. region of Richmond and Northallerton. His commitment to public service and philanthropy, as evidenced by his donation of his Goldman Sachs salary to The Richmond Project, highlights his dedication to improving the lives of others.