Britain’s new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is the first person of Indian origin to hold the role. Britain, which governed several nations for centuries, including India for 200 years, has now delegated its duties to a person with Indian ancestry. But what is the story of Rishi Sunak? This article will look at how he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom despite having Indian ancestors.
Despite not having won the election to be prime minister, Rishi Sunak is the Conservative Party’s first choice for the position. With the backing of more than 180 party members, he defeated Penny Mordaunt of the same party. The UK’s political crisis peaked following the resignation of former PM Liz Truss and the election of Rishi Sunak as the country’s new leader.
In the British city of Southampton, on May 12, 1980, Rishi Sunak was born. His father, Yashvir Sunak, is a doctor by profession. Usha Sunak, his mother, formerly owned and operated Southampton’s “Sunak Pharmacy,” currently referred to as “Bassett Pharmacy.” Rishi spent some time employed at the pharmacy. Rishi is the oldest of the trio of siblings. Before India’s partition, when it was still a British colony, Rishi’s grandparents were born there.
They resided in “Gujranwala,” which was a city in Punjab and is now in Pakistan. Prior to the partition, Rishi’s grandparents—who at the time held Indian passports—moved to East Africa. Both Rishi’s mother and father were born in Tanzania; Rishi’s father was born in Kenya. The entire family relocated to the UK in 1960.
Rishi attended Winchester College, one of the oldest colleges in the world, which is located in Britain. It’s a prestigious school. He not only graduated from this college but also rose to the position of the first Indian-born head boy. Rishi was employed as a waiter at “Kuti’s Brasserie,” a restaurant owned by a family friend, during this time. Following his acceptance, he began his studies in politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford University. His schooling was always given great consideration by his parents, who also put in extra hours at work to cover the costs. Rishi believes that his parents always provided him with the finest care they could.
Rishi even rose to the position of president of the Oxford Investment Society during his time there. Rishi began working as an investment bank analyst at Goldman Sachs, an American multinational investment banking firm, when he graduated from Oxford at the age of 21. He received a Fulbright Scholarship at the age of 24 and finished his MBA at Stanford University in the United States.
After completing his schooling, Rishi spent nearly three years working for Chris Hone, a billionaire activist. Rishi then co-founded Hedge Fund-Theleme Partners with his coworker Patrick Degorce.
He met Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy and chairperson Sudha Murthy, while he was a student at Stanford University. They are among the wealthiest married couples in India. Rishi wed Akshata when he was 29 years old, and the two of them have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka Sunak. According to sources, Rishi’s wife, Akshata, is the owner of the majority of their assets. Additionally, it’s thought that Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murthy are wealthier than Charles III of Britain.
Rishi worked at a hedge fund before going into politics. Early on, Rishi backed the Conservative Party in Britain. He later joined the party as a member of parliament, representing Richmond, Yorkshire. He was featured in British publications under the heading “Maharajah of the Yorkshire Dales.” In support of his culture and race, he swore an oath while keeping his hands on the “Bhagwat Geeta.” He stated that he is a proud Hindu as well as a British citizen during one of his rallies. According to sources, Rishi’s family also made significant financial donations to the construction of a Hindu Vedic Mandir in Southampton.
Rishi backed Brexit in 2020, which was the British government’s decision to leave the European Union. In the administration led by former prime minister Theresa May, Sunak served as a junior minister. In 2019, during Boris Johnson’s tenure, he served as Finance Minister, which is called Chancellor of the Exchequer in Britain. At the time, he was 40, making him the second-youngest person to hold one of the top three government offices.
During the Corona period, when the British economy was in decline, Rishi became more well-known. In difficult times, Rishi managed the nation’s economy well. At this time, Rishi did not allow work possibilities to decline and announced a 350 billion pound financial stimulus plan, which increased his notoriety among the general populace. However, a number of issues were brought up against him as a result of the “Partygate Scandal” that occurred under Boris Johnson, as well as Akshata Murthy’s assets and non-domicile status.
However, Britain is still going through a difficult time as three different prime ministers have taken office in the space of just two months. Liz Truss took over as prime minister after Boris Johnson resigned, but she too resigned after only 44 days in office. The responsibilities were transferred to Rishi Sunak on October 25; he is currently the first British Prime Minister of Indian ancestry.
