Lawrence Wong Tops Elected World Leaders With $2.85 Million Annual Salary
Prime Minister of Singapore Ranks First in Global Pay
Commits to Donating Entire Pay Increase for Next Five Years

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has been found to receive the highest annual salary among elected heads of state worldwide.


According to a report published on the 14th (local time) by Spanish-language media outlet Infobae, which investigated data from various governments, Prime Minister Wong's annual salary is 2.85 million US dollars (equivalent to KRW 3.8 billion), ranking first globally. This amount is more than seven times the salary received by U.S. President Donald Trump (400,000 US dollars). Infobae also reported that this figure exceeds the combined annual salaries of the leaders of six major countries—the United States, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and others—which together amount to approximately 2.21 million US dollars.


On the 2nd (local time), Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore, spoke at a press conference held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok (Thailand) = Photo by Reuters

On the 2nd (local time), Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore, spoke at a press conference held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok (Thailand) = Photo by Reuters

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Last year, Singapore overhauled its high-ranking official pay structure for the first time in 15 years, which resulted in a 64% increase in Prime Minister Wong's salary, firmly securing his position at the top of the list. The Singaporean government operates a so-called "clean wage" system, which is designed to prevent bribery in public office and attract top talent from the private sector into politics. Under this system, the salaries of senior civil servants are set based on the incomes of the top 1,000 highest-earning Singaporeans.


However, taking into account public sentiment, Prime Minister Wong has announced that he will donate the entire incremental salary increase for the next five years to charity.


In the Latin America region, President Yamandú Orsi of Uruguay ranked first with an annual salary of 163,000 US dollars, making him the highest-paid leader in Latin America. He is followed by President Abelardo de la Espriella of Colombia with 126,000 US dollars, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with 108,000 US dollars, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum with 94,000 US dollars, all ranking near the top.



At the bottom of the list is Argentine President Javier Milei, who is coping with extreme inflation. His annual salary has been tallied at 32,000 US dollars.


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