NR Narayana Murthy, one of the richest people in India, had mixed feelings when she first heard about the man who would become her son-in-law.
“I was also a little sad and jealous when you told us you had found your life partner,” he wrote to his daughter Akshata Murty in a letter, published in “Legacy: Letters from Eminent Parents to their Daughters” (Legacy: Cards
“But when I met Rishi and found he was everything you described – brilliant, handsome and most importantly honest – I understood why you let your heart be stolen,” he said of a certain Rishi Sunak, who became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Tuesday (24) after emerging victorious from the chaotic race to replace Liz Truss.
Sunak will not only be Britain’s youngest leader in 200 years, he is the country’s first non-white prime minister. And thanks in large part to his wife Murty, Sunak will be one of the richest people to rise to the top of the political establishment.
Murty has a 0.93% stake in his father’s Indian software company, Infosys, worth approximately $715 million. This represents the majority of the couple’s estimated net worth of £730 million ($830 million), according to the Sunday Times Rich List, an annual ranking of Britain’s richest people.
Even Queen Elizabeth wasn’t that rich – the Sunday Times put the late monarch’s net worth at £370 million (about $420 million) before she died. And that super-rich status nearly derailed Sunak’s rise to the top.
In April, it was reported that Murty enjoyed a UK tax status that meant she could legally avoid paying taxes on her overseas earnings. Sunak, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, recently raised the overall burden on UK taxpayers to its highest level since the 1940s.
After trying to weather the storm, Murty released a statement that confirmed the reports.
“Over the past few days, people have been asking questions about my tax arrangements: to be clear, I have paid taxes in this country on my UK income and international taxes on my international income,” she wrote on Twitter.
“This agreement is totally legal and how many non-domiciled people are taxed in the UK. But it became clear that many do not think it is compatible with my husband’s role as chancellor.”
The non-domiciled status has drawn controversy in the UK – tax activists say it benefits the super-rich. Recognizing the controversy, Murty said he would forgo his perks.
“I understand and appreciate the British sense of fairness and I do not want my tax status to distract my husband or affect my family. For this reason, I will no longer claim the tax remittance base,” she added on Twitter.
Sunak referred to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s independent adviser on ministerial concerns over the furor, which came as the country was already in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis. He was later cleared of violating the ministerial code.
When asked about the couple’s wealth in an August interview with Britain’s Times newspaper, Sunak said, while campaigning against Truss in his first candidacy for leadership: “I think in this country we judge people by their character and their actions, not by what they do.” is in your bank account. I’m lucky today, but I didn’t grow up like that. I worked really hard for what I have, my family worked hard and that’s why I want to do this job.”
From fashion to politics
Murty wasn’t born rich.
Infosys was founded by his father in 1981, a year after his birth. “Back then, we couldn’t afford a phone at home, and my then colleague, Arvind Kher, came from our office in Nariman Point (in Mumbai) to our house in Bandra (a suburb of Mumbai) to tell me that your mother gave you to light,” wrote NR Narayana Murthy in “Legacy.”
“Life has changed for us since then and there is enough money, but you know our lifestyle remains simple,” he added in the letter.
Sunak writes on his official website that he and Murty met in California when they were both studying for MBAs at Stanford University.
They got married in 2009 in the Indian city of Bangalore. Indian media described the party as a “no-frills” event attended by close friends and family, noting that the Murthys “are known to respect your privacy”.
Murty founded women’s clothing brand Akshata Designs, described in a 2011 Vogue India mini-profile as “local craft meets contemporary western silhouettes.”
In the interview, Murty said that his love of clothes “bewildered” his mother, “a serious engineer” confused as to why Murty “spends so much time creating clothes that are different from my wardrobe”.
The pair had two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, and in 2015, Sunak was elected Member of Parliament in the safe Conservative Party headquarters of Richmond, North Yorkshire.
In the UK, she and Sunak are listed as directors of a venture capital firm, Catamaran Ventures, founded by her father, and Murty is listed on Companies House as a director of Digme Fitness, a luxury fitness chain that has entered the market administration after struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
When Sunak made his first proposal to the Conservative Party leader in August, he told the Times that what made the pair work were their differences.
“I’m incredibly neat, she’s very messy… I’m a lot more organized, she’s more spontaneous… she won’t love me for saying this, but I’ll be honest with you, she doesn’t tidy things up very much. She’s a total nightmare, clothes everywhere… and shoes… oh God, shoes…” he said.
Sunak doesn’t drink, a fact that irritates Murty, he said. “I really tried [beber álcool],” he told the Times.
“My whole family drinks, my wife definitely drinks. It irritates her immensely that I don’t. My parents yes, my dad was upset that I didn’t share a glass of wine with him, but luckily my little brother showed up and that’s ok.”
Source: CNN Brasil

Joe Jameson, a technology journalist with over 2 years of experience, writes for top online news websites. Specializing in the field of technology, Joe provides insights into the latest advancements in the industry. Currently, he contributes to covering the world stock market.