Meet The World’s Poorest President

If there is any world leader who can rightfully be termed as the man of the people, it is definitely the President of Uruguay. Jose Mujica, the president of the country has earned the nickname "el presidente mas pobre" which means ‘poorest president’.

 The 77-year-old recently acknowledged in an interview to a Spanish news paper that he donates almost all of his presidential salary. This gesture makes him the poorest, and simultaneously the most generous president in the world. He further said that he receives $12,500 a month but keeps only $1,250. "I do fine with that amount; I have to do fine because there are many Uruguayans who live with much less." Jose lives with his wife, a senator who also donates part of her salary in a small farmhouse in Montevideo. His biggest expense is his Volkswagen Beetle, valued at $1,945.

 It is therefore not surprising that under the rule of an honest and generous leader like Jose, Uruguay has emerged as one of the least corrupt countries in Latin America. In addition to this Mujica has no bank accounts and no debt, a relief that provides him to enjoy the company of his dog, Manuela. It is also important to mention here that Jose is not the first president to donate his salary. US President John F. Kennedy use to donate half his salary when he was in office, as did Herbert Hoover.