Rishi Sunak’s wife is richer than the Queen as tech billionaire’s daughter has family shares worth £430m
RISHI Sunak’s wife is richer than the Queen as the daughter of a billionaire worth £430million.
Akshata Murthy and her relatives hold a multimillion pound portfolio of shareholdings in her family’s tech firm.
The Chancellor, who met Akshata while studying at Stanford University, California, has not declared the portfolio in the register of ministers’ interests.
The assets make her richer than the Queen, who is estimated to be worth £350m, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
This revelation comes after Mr Sunak faced demands to reveal details of his financial interests last month.
It had emerged that Mr Sunak set up a “blind trust” when he was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury in July last year.
Critics have said there is a risk of conflict because Mr Sunak is aware of what he put into the trust.
Mr Sunak’s wife is the daughter of entrepreneur Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy in India, who cofounded the technology company Infosys.
She owns 0.91 per cent shares, which equals £430million.
It is also said that her family have a joint venture with Amazon worth £900million a year as well as shares in the firm running Jamie Oliver in the UK and the burger chain Wendy’s in India.
Mr Sunak was better known in India than Britain before becoming the Chancellor.
He became a household name when he Akshata.
After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, he attended Stanford University on a Fulbright scholarship where he met his wife.
They married in 2009 and now have tow daughters together.
Before entering politics he worked for investment bank Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund, then co-founded an investment firm.
Every year, Mr Sunk and his wife through a garden party at their £1.5m manor Yorkshire – giving him the nickname the “Maharaja of the Dales”.
Sir Alistair Graham, a former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, said the Chancellor appeared to have “taken the most minimalist approach possible” when giving information.
He told The Guardian: “Perhaps Rishi Sunak should carefully read the ‘Seven principles of Public Life’ to make sure he is fulfilling the two principles of ‘Honesty and Leadership’.”
It follows calls for Mr Sunak to reveal his financial interests after he set up a “blind trust” – meaning he doesn’t know how his assets are being invested.
Critics have claimed Mr Sunak is aware of what he put into the trust.
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It also means he doesn’t have to disclose fuller details of his investment portfolio.
It came as other documents revealed he did not take his salary for five months when he joined the Treasury last year.
Theresa May also attracted controversy when she made a similar move when she became Prime Minister in 2016.
