Discover the surprising world of political paychecks with a breakdown of the top 10 highest-paid world leaders in 2024. From Singapore’s Prime Minister earning over $1.6 million with bonuses to Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen making $364,000 as the EU’s president, explore how these figures compare to CEO salaries and other top earners. Whether it’s the traditional presidential roles or influential positions like Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, learn who’s making what in global leadership, and how their compensation packages stack up year after year.
Presidents, prime ministers, and other world leaders can be paid well in some countries, despite their lower wages compared to CEOs of major corporations.
This chart, created by Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, ranks the top ten highest-paid world leaders in 2024, according to multiple sources. The Hong Kong statistics are as of 2022. All statistics are in USD and approximate. They can fluctuate from year to year due to policy changes, extra benefits, and other compensations.
Singapore Tops List of World Leaders with Highest Salaries
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is the highest-paid government official, earning more than $1.6 million annually. His annual wage package includes a 13th-month bonus, among other benefits.
Second on our list is Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who earns $695,000. His position was created in 1997 as part of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China, replacing the governor of Hong Kong, who served as the British monarch’s envoy during British administration.
Viola Amherd, President of Switzerland, comes in third place.
U.S. President Joe Biden ranks fourth on our list, earning $400,000 each year.
Interestingly, German politician Ursula von der Leyen, who is not the leader of a single country, ranks seventh with a salary of $364,000 per year. She is the 13th head of the European Commission, the EU’s executive department, having been appointed in December 2019.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that in 2023, the median pay for S&P 500 CEOs reached a record $15.7 million, buoyed by a thriving stock market. Some CEOs garnered nine-figure packages, with Hock Tan of Broadcom leading with $161.8 million, a staggering 510 times higher than his median employee’s pay.
