Ruto Emerges as World’s Highest-Earning Leader Relative to GDP
Kenyan President William Ruto has recently been ranked as the highest-earning head of state worldwide, relative to his nation’s economic standing. According to new insights, Ruto’s income tops that of other global leaders when assessed against Kenya’s GDP per capita.
A recent salary review by Kenya’s Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) in June 2023 saw President Ruto’s monthly salary jump from Ksh1,443,750 to Ksh1,650,000. Although his earnings pale in comparison to leaders from more affluent countries, Ruto’s pay is significant when juxtaposed with Kenya’s per-capita GDP, which was recorded at Ksh811,615 in 2023. His annual salary of Ksh19,800,000 equates to nearly 2,000% (1993%) of the country’s per-capita GDP.
This stark ratio places him at the top globally for the highest salary relative to national GDP per capita. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who ranks second, earns an impressive Ksh217,718,946 (USD 1.69 million) annually, which stands at 1,158% of Singapore’s GDP per capita. Notably, Wong is also the highest-paid leader by absolute salary worldwide.
Interestingly, African presidents dominate the upper echelons of this ranking. Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rank third and fourth, with salaries amounting to 1,087% and 1,053% of their respective nations’ GDP per capita. Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo completes the top five, with his pay representing 651% of Ghana’s per-capita GDP.
Despite the high earnings, President Ruto has publicly cautioned against excessive wage increases, following the SRC’s proposed salary hike for state officers in June 2024. Acknowledging public concern, he expressed a commitment to addressing wage disparity. “The President has emphasised that this is a time, more than ever before, for the executive and all arms of government to live within their means,” State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed stated.
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Ruto Emerges as World’s Highest-Earning Leader Relative to GDP
