Rishi Sunak served as the United Kingdom’s 57th Prime Minister from October 2022 to July 2024, becoming the first person of Indian heritage, Hindu faith, and youngest leader in over two centuries to hold the position. Born in Southampton in 1980 to parents who immigrated from East Africa, Sunak built a successful career in finance at Goldman Sachs and hedge funds before entering politics as a Conservative MP in 2015, ultimately serving as Chancellor during the pandemic. His historic tenure encompasses significant economic and political developments that shaped modern British governance.
A historic ascent through British politics culminated when Rishi Sunak became the United Kingdom’s 57th Prime Minister in October 2022, marking several unprecedented milestones in the nation’s governmental leadership. Following Liz Truss’s resignation, Sunak assumed office through an uncontested Conservative Party leadership election, becoming the first non-white, first British Indian, first Punjabi, and first Hindu individual to serve as UK Prime Minister.
Born on 12 May 1980 in Southampton, England, to Indian parents with Punjab heritage, Sunak represents the second generation of a family that immigrated to the UK from East Africa during the 1960s. His father worked as a National Health Service general practitioner, while his mother operated a small pharmacy where Sunak, the eldest of three children, assisted with bookkeeping responsibilities during his youth.
Sunak’s educational trajectory included attendance at Winchester College, a prestigious independent institution, followed by studies in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford. He subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration at Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar, joining the Conservative Party during his Oxford years.
His professional career began at Goldman Sachs, the global investment banking firm, before advancing to partner positions at two hedge fund companies. Sunak managed £700 million in investments when Theleme Partners launched in 2009. Prior to entering Parliament, Sunak co-founded a substantial investment firm, establishing a reputation for financial expertise and accumulating considerable personal wealth through various business ventures.
Entering politics in 2015 as Conservative MP for Richmond (Yorks), Sunak supported the Brexit campaign in 2016 and progressed rapidly through governmental ranks. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government in 2019, advanced to Chief Secretary to the Treasury later that year, and became Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022, overseeing economic policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his tenure as Prime Minister from October 2022 to July 2024, Sunak distinguished himself as the youngest UK Prime Minister in over 200 years and among the wealthiest individuals to hold the office in modern times. His administration focused on economic recovery efforts following the pandemic while steering through a turbulent political climate within the Conservative Party. He is married to fashion designer Akshata Murty, and they reside in a manor house in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, alongside maintaining properties in London and California.
Sunak’s premiership concluded following a landslide Labour Party victory in the July 2024 general election, after which he briefly served as Leader of the Opposition until November 2024. His legacy includes recognition for pandemic-era economic policies, including furlough schemes and business support measures, while citing family business values and Margaret Thatcher’s influence in shaping his political philosophy.
