Find out who is Rishi Sunak, the billionaire of Indian origin who leads the succession of Boris Johnson

Rishi Sunakwhich in two and a half years has gone from being almost unknown to Leader of the race to succeed Boris JohnsonHe was the first British chancellor of Asian descent The richest member of the British Parliament.

He was appointed Finance Minister in February 2020 after just five years in the Conservative Party. A month later, the coronavirus pandemic hit, and thanks to his massive welfare package, he has become one of the government’s most popular members, while Johnson has come under fire for his handling of the health crisis.

Always smiling, with his appearance at the head of his class, the 42-year-old minister, if he wins, will be the first British of Indian descent and the first non-white person to lead the UK government.

In 2015, upon entering the House of Commons, an elected representative from Yorkshire (Northern England) was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu holy book, written in Sanskrit.

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After the generosity that prevailed during the pandemic period, the governor began to return to his much-budgeted orthodoxy. This included a tax increase that was much criticized, including by the Conservative Party, as well as being denounced as a blow to more modest families.

He justified this by saying, “For me, being conservative means being responsible for money, both for individuals and public finances. Paying off debts owed during a pandemic is doing the right thing, making the responsible choice.”

It only took Sunak five years in politics to reach the position of finance minister, at the age of 39, after the resignation of his predecessor Sajid Javid. Previously, he was only Secretary of the Treasury and Under Secretary of State in Parliament for Local Governments.

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Sunak is the second youngest chancellor in history, after George Osborne, who was appointed in 2010 when he was 38 years old.

His style is reminiscent of that of former Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair. He is building a real “Rishi Sunak” brand on Instagram, Twitter, and social networks where he appears to be working from home wearing a sweatshirt, or wearing fluorescent shoes and a jacket on a construction site.

Networking exposure sometimes pays the bill. In 2020, he was criticized for a photo that showed expensive glass in his office – the press took the opportunity to highlight his luxurious tastes.

A supporter of Brexit, Sunak is married to the daughter of one of the founders of the Indian IT services company Infosys, millionaire NR Narayana Murthy. He owns a Georgian mansion in Kirby Sigston, Yorkshire.

He met his wife, Akshata, in California, where the couple, who have two daughters, lived, before moving to the UK.

His image has also been tarnished by a scandal related to the privileged tax status of his billionaire wife.

She is registered as a “non-resident” in the UK, although with Sunak living in an official apartment in Downing Street, she has avoided paying taxes in the country.

“Non-resident” status is considered legal, but this declaration was not welcomed by the community which has seen its purchasing power plummet. Morty ended up changing his tax status.

Sonak was born on May 12, 1980 in Southampton, on the south coast of England, the eldest of three children born to a public health service general practitioner and pharmacist.

Born in India, her grandparents immigrated to British East Africa in the 1960s.

Sunak, who claims to have been a victim of racism in a fast food restaurant as a teenager, attended Winchester College, a stylish boarding school for boys, and studied politics, philosophy and economics at prestigious British universities at Oxford and Stanford America.

Before entering politics, he worked in the financial world, including the Goldman Sachs Group and his private investment firm.

Sunak is a fan of cricket and football as well as the “Star Wars” movie saga.