New Prime Minister sworn in for England. At the age of 42, Rishi Sunak is one of the youngest to attain office and one of the richest in the country. Part of Narayana Murthy’s wealth also comes from his wife Akshata Murthy, daughter of the well-known ‘Bill Gates of India’. They will therefore be the wealthiest couple to live in 10 Downing Street, as their fortune is worth over €837 million.
Most of Murthy’s personal wealth comes from his father’s company shares, which according to Forbes alone exceeds the £442 million (about €510 million) fortune of King Charles III. In addition, the wife of the British prime minister also owns Catamaran Ventures, an investor in startups Sunak stopped holding when she entered government in 2020, and is linked to at least six other British companies. But in addition to the business, Akshada – along with her husband – also owns four properties worth £15 million (€17.3 million), including a penthouse in Santa Monica, California, overlooking the beach. Baywatch is a popular 1990s series.
Billionaires but modest
Despite being financially well off, Akshata Murthy’s life was not always lavish. Akshata grew up in Bangalore, but with a very strict upbringing. Banned from watching television by her mother, despite her wealth, she and her brother Rohan were forced to go to school in a rickshaw (a two-wheeler). Travel in a classy car and with a butler.
Her mother, Sudha Murthy, is considered by many to be the ‘Indian’s favorite grandmother’ and a great writer, having made possible the creation of 60,000 libraries in India.
“My parents raised me and my brother with strong philanthropic values. Volunteering in underprivileged areas allowed me to identify the challenges faced by women in India,” the first lady said in an interview.
But the studies did not stop. When she entered higher education, Akshada chose to study French and Economics at the private Claremont McKenna College in California, after which she decided to attend the Los Angeles Institute of Fashion, Design and Advertising. .
He then pursued an MBA at Stanford, California, where he met Rishi Sunak, who won him a prestigious Fulbright scholarship.
Sensible and business family
The two fell in love and after four years of dating, decided to tie the knot in a grand two-day ceremony in Bangalore. The couple now has two daughters.
After a while, Akshada decided to create her own fashion brand Akshada Designs in 2009, confirming that this was her passion. But after three years the business failed.
And didn’t give up. Along with her husband, she founded Catamaran Ventures in 2013, which invests in startups “with an eye toward future capital growth and income distribution.”
But that’s not all. It is also linked to other British companies such as Jamie Oliver Pizzeria and Jamie’s Italian restaurants and has stakes in Koru Kids Agency and Digme Fitness Gym Chair. In addition, the Prime Minister’s wife is a director of the British branch of a software company founded by her brother and is a shareholder in fast food chain Wendy’s in India.
Corruption
But despite being smart, the couple, especially Akshada, are not immune to scandals. In April this year, it was deemed ‘non-resident’ by British tax authorities, guaranteeing exemption from the country’s taxes. From a legal point of view, millions saved by a billionaire do not violate the law. After much public outcry, the Indian businessman announced that his income would be taxed in the United Kingdom. But he left the guarantee: “I do this because I want to, not because the law forces me to”.
As they are the new occupants of Downing Street, until now discretionary, the case may now change its shape.
“Hardcore explorer. Extreme communicator. Professional writer. General music practitioner. Prone to fits of apathy.”