The Morning Morning Morning Morning Post (SCMP) listed the 10 world leaders with the highest annual salaries.
1. Singaporean Prime Minister Li Hien Long: Salary of 1.6 million USD
Singaporean Prime Minister Li Hien Long lives in the Istana - the prime minister and president's palace - covering an area of 43 hectares. The Istana is built in neoclassical architectural style, with beautiful rows of pillars like statues, deep porch rows, roofed windows and smart entrances.
Prime Minister Li Hien Long tops this list as the top paid government head. For comparison, his salary of $1.6 million/year is 15 times higher than that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
2. US President Joe Biden: Salary of 400,000 USD
President Joe Biden lives in the White House, traveling around the world on an Air Force One.
With a floor area of 4,000 square meters on three floors, the medical room can perform emergency surgeries, a separate row of rooms for the president and a kitchen with a capacity of up to 100 people at the same time, Air Force One is considered the world's best equipped aircraft.
Despite the high salary of US presidents, post-presidential projects often help them make a living.
3. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Salary of $384,800
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is entitled to not one but two official palaces: his main palace is a Georgia generally recognized restoration-style building called The Lodge, which dates back to 1927, and the second palace is Kirribilli House in Sydney, New South Wales.
The 30th and current Prime Minister of Australia began his career as a policy manager and research fellow for the Australian Asset Council before moving to the tourism sector as the deputy executive director of the Australian Tourism Special Forces and then the general director of the Australian Tourism Council.
4. German Chancellor Angela Merkel: Salary of 369,700 USD
Konrad Adenauer, also known as Airbus A340-313X VIP, is a private jet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but she also has the right to use a number of other expensive aircraft managed by the German armed forces.
From a scientist, Merkel became the first female German prime minister in 2005, and has now finished her fourth and final term. Although her party lost in the recent election, Merkel is still considered the most influential female leader in the world and is recognized as the one who helped Germany overcome the financial crisis and return to growth momentum.
5. Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz: Salary of 328,600 USD
Since the Austrian government has never operated VIP private jets, the Austrian prime minister often uses the national airline Austrian Airlines. In addition, the official job also allows Mr. Kurz to rent a four-seat Saab 105OE ( supplied by the Austrian Air Force) to travel domestically.
6. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: Salary of 325,500 USD
Ms. Jacinda Ardern is not only the only female prime minister to give birth to a child in office since Pakistan's Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, but she is also the first woman to bring her child to the United Nations General Assembly.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is one of 15 women to appear on the cover of British magazine Vogue in September 2019. During the pandemic, Ms. Ardern requested a 20% cut in her salary to express sympathy for the 5 million New Zealand citizens who have lost their jobs or suffered a salary cut.
7. Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel: Salary of 278,000 USD
During international tours, the Prime Minister Luxembourg has a private Cessna 550 Citation II, a Learjet 35A and even the 737-700, rented from Luxair airline.
Mr. Bettel is the first openly gay prime minister of Luxembourg - and the third in Europe. He made history in 2019 with a touching speech on the rights of LGBTQ+ people at the United Nations General Assembly. His small but wealthy country has a population of only 614,000 people.
8. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo: Salary of 263,000 USD
For long-haul flights, the Belgian Prime Minister uses one Airbus A321, but he also has a Dassault Falcon 90, a Embraer ERJ 135 and two Embraer ERJ 145.
De Croo became Belgian prime minister in October 2020 after nearly two years without a prime minister. Although he is the son of famous Belgian politician Herman De Croo, he initially worked in the private sector - for Boston Consulting Group - to build his own career. However, he later pursued a political career and is currently the acting prime minister of Belgium.
9. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Salary of 260,000 USD
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives in the Rideau Cottage mansion in the Rideau Hall grounds in Ottawa, Ontario. dating back to 1867, Rideau Cottage underwent significant renovations in 2000. The main entrance is a dense porch, roof windows and collapsible chimneys giving the building a cozy look.
10. Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide: Salary of 255,000 USD
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide shared a Boeing 777-300ER - the world's largest twin-turbocharged aircraft - with the Emperor.
The plane for the prime minister and his colleagues used has a VIP room and offices, along with 106 business class seats for guests. In fact, the Japanese government has maintained two Boeing 777s for the prime minister, one for primary use and the second for reserve use.
On September 3, 2021, Mr. Suga announced that he would not run for re-election as chair of the ruling LDP, which means he would end his term as prime minister in just one year.
