There is no doubt that many world leaders are extremely wealthy. Some are born into it, while others have earned it

Updated on August 06, 2022 13:52 PM by Anna P

Most world leaders are extremely wealthy, so it is no surprise they are wealthy. Some are born into it. Some can earn it. Some steal it. Monarchs and oil-producing nations account for many of the world's richest leaders. It's not easy to rank them based on their net worth.

Most companies do not release their financial statements, so we're left to guess. Several sources, including Forbes Magazine, were used to compile our list. Our list shows that it's good to be a king or queen in the end since all of these people have considerable wealth. A modest salary to an exceptionally generous salary is common for world leaders.

Many past and present premiers accumulated outrageous wealth before taking office, while others accumulated wealth at the expense of their nation while in office. A maximum net worth, adjusted for inflation, is revealed for some of the affluent non-royal leaders of states and governments.

Napoleon Bonaparte

During the early 19th century, Napoleon ruled vast swathes of Europe following the French Revolution as the self-styled Emperor of France. The rags-to-riches leader held a 100-million-franc fortune at the time. Napoleon's fortune was worth approximately $400 million (£285 million) in 1880 when a franc was worth 20 cents.

Uhuru Kenyatta

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta owns several prime farmlands in Kenya. Kenya's first leader, Jomo Kenyatta, inherited the land from him. He also owns shares in a commercial bank, a TV station, and shares in the nation's largest dairy company. He was estimated to have a net worth of $500 million (£307m) by Forbes in 2011.

George Washington

Washington was the second wealthiest US president. His 8,000-acre Mount Vernon plantation, which had five farms, enslaved hundreds of people. The Founding Fathers owned the land from Virginia to New York. It works to $553 million (£393 million) when Washington's peak net worth is adjusted for inflation.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo

While many of the people of Equatorial Guinea live on less than a dollar a day, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo hoards millions. His lavish lifestyle includes Malibu estates, Bugatti Veyrons, Bentleys, and Lamborghinis, as well as Bentleys, Lamborghinis, and Bentleys. In 2006 Forbes estimated his net worth at $600 million (£340 million), which is equal to $764 million (£543 million) today.

Nursultan Nazarbayev

From 24 April 1990 until March 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev served as president of Kazakhstan. He is said to have accumulated $1 billion (£711 million) over his 29 years in office, including widespread human rights abuses and rampant corruption.

Islam Karimov

From 1989 until he died in 2016, Islam Karimov led the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic and Uzbekistan. There was severe press censorship, and human rights abuses were commonplace under the president's rule. Known to have a net worth of $1 billion (£711 million), Karimov was also allegedly fond of draining the state's coffers.

Fidel Castro

Despite his Marxist-Leninist beliefs on the fair distribution of wealth, Cuba's longtime leader, president from 1976 to 2008, accumulated much wealth on his own. According to Forbes, he had a net worth of $900 million in 2006. Considering inflation, that amounts to $1.15 billion (£818m) today.

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, most famously known as the richest ever British prime minister, served as leader of the Conservative Party for three terms between 1850 and 1860 and is considered the longest-serving MP in Britain's history. In today's money, the aristocrat's fortune would be approximately $1.3 billion (£925m), which in the aristocratic's time amounts to $9.3 million.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was the fourth president of Iran during the first half of the 20th century. His business empire made him a very rich man, as he was born into a wealthy family and served in office from 1989 to 1997. He was estimated to have a net worth of $1.1 billion (£893m) by Forbes in 2006. Today's currency amounts to $1.4 billion (£995 million).

Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe was the former prime minister of Zimbabwe and president from 1980 to 2017, during which time he plundered the country for his benefit and that of his family. In 2001, US diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks show the late leader's net worth was estimated to be more than $1 billion (£690m), with several farms and luxury residences. Today that would be $1.45 billion (£1bn) adjusted for inflation.

Bashar Al-Assad

According to the Guardian newspaper, a more realistic analysis of his wealth in 2012 estimated his net worth at $1.5 billion (£940m). Syria's brutal leader has been in charge since 2000 and has been charged with hoarding up to $122 billion (£88 billion) stolen from state coffers.

Ali Bongo Ondimba

There is evidence that Gabonese president Ali Bongo Ondimba siphoned off 25% of the nation's GDP, making him the most likely suspect. The president has a net worth well beyond the widely quoted $2 billion (£1.4bn). In addition to his Paris townhouse, he possesses assets of $138 million (£98 million).

Wen Jiabao

During his 10-year term as China's premier, Wen Jiabao managed to amass billions of dollars. As a result of a comprehensive investigation by the New York Times of company and regulatory documents revealed that the Communist Party of China chief had gained assets totaling $2.7 billion (£1.7 billion).

Saddam Hussein

In the years leading up to his ouster in 2003, Saddam Hussein amassed a colossal fortune. According to Forbes, the notorious dictator accumulated wealth by plundering the Iraqi people's money, equating to $2.8 billion (£2bn) in 2021. One example of his many assets was 89 palaces, several luxury cars, and a major stake in the French media company Lagardere SCA.

Sebastian Pinera

Founder Sebastian Pikeera of Chilean credit card company Bancard made a fortune after launching that company in 1976. Forbes calculates that the Chilean president's net worth is $2.8 billion (£2 billion), the amount he spent on his rents during his first four-year term.

Daniel Arap Moi

Daniel Arap Moi ruled Kenya from 1978 to 2002. According to Forbes, Moi owned diverse investments, including stakes in multiple oil companies, an Australian farm, and shares in shipping companies. Approximately $3.1 billion (£2.1 billion) was believed to be the value of the retired politician at the time of his death in 2020. Over one billion dollars were funneled out of the country by the late politician during his time in office.

Ilham Aliyev

The president of Azerbaijan since 2003 is the autocratic leader Ilham Aliyev. He curtails free speech in the country, and he is also accused of stealing billions. He is also accused of embezzling billions, and he is said to manage several state-owned firms and assets in some of the country's largest banks. A total of more than $2 billion (£2.1 billion) is estimated to be his net worth.

Francisco Franco

During his rule over Spain from 1939 to 1975, Francisco Franco murdered more than 300,000 people, mostly republicans and other dissenters. Approximately 100 billion pesetas (£2.7 billion) amount to approximately $3.8 billion (£2.7bn) in today's money, according to upper estimates of the dictator's wealth in 1975.

Kim Jong-il

While many of his citizens starved to death, Kim Jong-il stole $4 billion (£2.8bn) from his people. Former North Korean ambassador to Switzerland Ri Su-Yong managed the late despot's slush fund, deposited in Swiss banks clandestinely.

Donald Trump

The wealthiest president in the history of the United States is Donald Trump. Upon winning the presidential election in November 2016, the real estate tycoon and media personality were surrounded by wealth. Forbes magazine estimates Trump's net worth to be $2.4 billion (£1.7 billion), down from $4.5 billion in 2016.

Kim Jong-un

Despite his father's barbarism, Kim Jong-un rivals him regarding his net worth, and he rivals him in barbarity. Despite enjoying yachts and luxury cars, caviar, vintage wine, and caviar, the supreme leader of the Hermit Kingdom reportedly has a fortune of $5 billion (£3.6 billion).

Sani Abacha

De facto Nigerian leader Sani Abacha was a military despot from 1993 until he died in 1998. The abuses of human rights and corruption endemic to his time in office defined his tenure. A secret bank account in Switzerland and elsewhere contained $4 billion (£2.4bn) stashed by the dictator before he died. This amounts to $6.3 billion (£4.5 billion) in today's money.

Adolf Hitler

A despot that millions have reviled, Adolf Hitler could swindle Germany out of billions. As a result of the sale of Mein Kampf, he made millions of dollars. The documentary mentioned Hitler's net worth as $6.5 billion (£4.6 billion) in today's money, equivalent to 1.1 billion reichsmarks when it was released in 2014.

Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi made his fortune in the media after entering the construction industry in 1973, then becoming prime minister for three terms in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010. In 2014, Berlusconi's family fortune reached a peak of $9 billion (£5.4bn) when he owned AC Milan, but has since declined to a total of $8.1 billion (£5.8bn).

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the former leader of Tunisia, was loathed by his people during his time in power. He controlled between 30% and 40% of the nation's economy. In 2011, before he was removed from power, the late president and his family held assets valued at approximately $10 billion (£7.2bn).

Mobutu Sese Seko

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is today ruled by Mobutu Sese Seko, a former president of Zaire. In 1984, the despotic leader estimated that he had accumulated $5 billion from the people's money just as freely and easily as the other dictators in our round-up. In today's money, that's about $12 billion (£8.5 billion). His luxurious tastes included vintage rosé champagne and palaces in Zaire and Paris.

Jose Eduardo dos Santos

During his tenure as president of Angola from 1979 to 2017, he accumulated vast amounts of money. A politician who opted to enrich himself and his family instead of focusing on the plight of his people, most of whom are poverty-stricken, is now estimated to be worth $20 billion (£14.2 billion). After being charged with corruption and facing three separate cases in three different countries, Isabel became Africa's richest woman, but Forbes no longer lists her as one of the continent's richest.

Ibrahim Babangida

Ibrahim Babangida, a Nigerian president from 1985 to 1993, also stole billions of the nation's money. Nigeria's massive oil windfall during the 1992 Gulf War is believed to have resulted in the shameless military general launderer $12.4 billion (£7 billion). That value would be $22.7 billion (£16.2bn) today after adjusting for inflation.

Mahathir Mohamad

From 1981 to 2003, Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad held the position of prime minister for a long time, and then again between 2018 and February 2020. In addition to owning interests in over 50 banks worldwide, the 95-year-old leader is believed to have approximately $45 billion stashed away through his proxy, Tun Daim Zainuddin.

Ferdinand Marcos

From 1972 to 1986, Ferdinand Marcos led the Philippines as president. Marcos had a reputation for brutality and corruption. In addition to embezzling hundreds of millions, the despot embezzled more than £37.5 billion (£37.8 billion) during his dictatorship with his wife, Imelda. The latter is well known for her collection of over 3,000 high-end shoes.

Suharto

The Indonesian president Suharto served for 31 years before stepping down in 1998. He plunders up to $35 billion in a system critics dubbed "corruption, collusion, nepotism" during his grip on power. It's estimated he plunders around $55 billion, equivalent to £39 billion today.

Ali Abdullah Saleh

During the period 1990 to 2012, Yemen's president was among the most corrupt leaders. After the Arab Spring series of protests, Saleh was accused of stealing huge sums of money from Yemenis. He was estimated to have a net worth of up to $64 billion (£41.4 billion) in a 2015 report to the United Nations Security Council.

Hosni Mubarak

A disreputable leader who was removed from power after spending 30 years at the helm of his country, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011 by the Arab Spring protests. A report in the Washington Times suggests that the politician may have stolen up to $700 billion (£505 billion) from Egyptians in the same year. ABC News and the Guardian reported the politician had stolen $70 billion from them.

Vladimir Putin

In history, two heads of state have earned the dubious title of richest world leaders. There is Vladimir Putin among them. According to former Hermitage Capital Management CEO Bill Browder, who revealed his estimate under oath to the US Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018, the Russian president received an official salary of 8.6 million rubles, equivalent to $116,000 (£83.7k). The billionaire could rule until 2036, making him Russia's longest-serving leader since Josef Stalin. Many banks and investments in the West are allegedly holding the money.

Muammar Gaddafi

The Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi is the second most wealthy leader in the world. The country's massive oil revenues enabled him to stash away $200 billion (£144bn) in secret bank accounts, shady investments, and suspect real estate deals between 1977 and 2011. Gaddafi was supposed to put his wealth into a trust to help stabilize war-torn Libya, yet many of his funds are still frozen, and it's unclear where they go.