His name is Jose Mujica, he is the president of Uruguay, whose lifestyle clearly differs sharply from that of most other world leaders. Only two police officers and Manuela, a three-legged dog, keep watch outside his house. President Mujica has shunned the luxurious house that the Uruguayan state provides for its leaders and opted to stay at his wife’s farmhouse, off a dirt road outside the capital, Montevideo. The president and his wife work the land themselves, growing flowers. This austere lifestyle – and the fact that Mujica donates
about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000 (£7,500), to charity – has led him to be labelled the poorest president in the world. All the president’s wealth is a 1987 VW Beetle which he still drives. In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration – mandatory for officials in Uruguay – was $1,800 (£1,100), the value of his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.
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