wealth – Central News Hub

Rishi Sunak’s Wealth Jumps £120M Amid Billionaire Slump

Despite a UK billionaire slowdown, Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty’s wealth rose significantly to £651 million from £529 million last year, amidst challenging economic conditions, reports Asian Lite News

The fortune of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, has experienced a remarkable surge, exceeding 120 million pounds in growth over the past year, thus elevating their combined wealth to a substantial 651 million pounds, UK-based broadcasting network iTV reported.

The latest annual Sunday Times Rich List revealed their wealth grew substantially despite the wider UK billionaire boom coming “to an end” in the face of tough economic conditions.

Despite a noted slowdown in the broader UK billionaire landscape due to challenging economic circumstances, Sunak and Murty have witnessed a significant increase in their wealth, which now stands at 651 million pounds compared to 529 million pounds in the previous year.

This impressive rise can be attributed largely to Murty’s ownership stake in Infosys, the esteemed Indian IT giant co-founded by her billionaire father. Murty’s shares in Infosys experienced a remarkable increase in value, soaring by 108.8 million pounds to nearly 590 million pounds within the span of a year, as reported by iTV.

However, it’s worth noting that the couple’s current wealth still falls short of its peak in 2022, when it reached approximately 730 million pounds.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty and their children Krisna and Anoushka walk through the garden on their way to attend Trooping of the Colour on Horse Guards parade to celebrate King Charles III official birthday. (Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street)

The upward trajectory in wealth isn’t unique to Sunak and Murty alone; King Charles has also seen his fortune grow, climbing to 610 million pounds from 600 million pounds over the past year.

Despite these individual successes, the overall landscape for British billionaires is shifting. The number of billionaires in the UK has experienced a decline for the third consecutive year, dropping from a peak of 177 in 2022 to 165 in the current year. This decline is attributed to various factors, including some individuals witnessing a contraction in their private wealth due to high borrowing rates, while others have chosen to relocate from the country.

Robert Watts, the compiler of the rich list, suggests that Britain’s billionaire boom may have reached its zenith. He notes that while many homegrown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes diminish, some of the global super-rich, who once favoured the UK as a base, are now seeking opportunities elsewhere. This trend raises questions about the implications for the British economy, as thousands of livelihoods are interconnected with the fortunes of the super-rich, according to iTV.

The latest data reveals that Britain’s 350 wealthiest individuals and families collectively possess a staggering combined wealth of 795.36 billion pounds. Topping the list once again are Gopi Hinduja and his family, who oversee the renowned Indian conglomerate Hinduja Group. Their wealth has ascended to 37.2 billion pounds from 35 billion pounds in the previous year.

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty visit BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street.

However, not all prominent billionaires have experienced growth in their fortunes. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United investor and Ineos founder, witnessed the most significant decline, with his net worth plummeting by over 6 billion pounds to 23.52 billion pounds.

Similarly, Sir James Dyson saw his wealth diminish to 20.8 billion pounds from 23 billion pounds, while Sir Richard Branson’s fortunes dwindled to 2.4 billion pounds from 4.2 billion pounds, owing to challenges faced by his company, Virgin Galactic, throughout the year, iTV reported. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Hunt vows tax cut if Tories win polls

Be wealthy with ‘healthy’ lifestyle

‘Healthy lifestyle’ a common phrase that has come under much scrutiny over the last couple years, has some of us checking our calorie count with every meal intake, and most of us aiming to achieve it, but never being able to. Despite alarming facts that reveal the sorry state of the Indian population’s heart health, and India accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the world’s heart diseases, it becomes an important consideration.

We know that hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, or obesity can impact our health negatively. These can be caused by our poor lifestyle choices. Our sedentary lifestyles have led to reduced levels of physical activity, coupled with the lack of moderation and imbalance in our food habits that include excess consumption of processed foods high in refined sugar, salt and high-in fat consisting of saturated and trans-fat. The key to minimising health risks is not as hard as you may think. Starting small and adopting simple dietary and lifestyle changes can help in maintaining overall heart health.

Simple Swaps to keep your heart healthy.(photo:IANSLIFE)

Choose granola bars over Indian dessert

We Indians have a sweet tooth and crave for something sweet with our meals, but most of the time we go overboard with the consumption of desserts which have excessive amount of sugar. Over consumption of sugar for long period of time accumulates as fat in the body causing weight gain. Even though sugar is part of our regular diet one needs to be mindful about the consumption pattern, portion sizes and should go for a snack which is more ideal.

Granola bars are a quick snack for those who need a power boost but make sure you use low amounts of sugar. Homemade granola bars can be made at home with oats, berries, edible seeds and dry fruits that are high sources of fibre and protein. Soluble fibre helps to reduce LDL levels i.e., bad cholesterol and blood pressure which will keep your heart healthy.

Swap fruit juices with whole fruits

Consuming whole fruits in the morning helps in better absorption of vitamins from the fruits. However, people choose the convenient option and consume fruit juices.

Natural and canned fruit juices are a concentrated sources of sugars without the benefit of fibre. Hence, it is advisable to include whole fruits as part of your breakfast, which have nutrients like fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Seasonal fruits can be a good way to include fruits in your breakfast every day.

Choose blended oils over single seed oils

Our day-to-day cooking requires oil in almost all our meals, therefore choosing the right oil is a simple change for overall health. Though single seed oils like ground nut, soybean, canola etc. do have health benefits, they are not enough to provide the right balance of fatty acids which are recommended in our diet.

A healthier switch would be opting for multi-source oils, also known as blended oils. Blended oils with antioxidants have multiple benefits like providing nutrition from fats and improving immunity. It is prepared by combining two or more oils into one to obtain benefits of two oils in one. They are scientifically blended to provide good balance of MUFAs and PUFAs that help manage cholesterol.

Choosing a blended oil like Saffola Gold Blended Oil as part of your everyday diet can help in keeping your heart healthy. It has natural antioxidants that help build immunity and gives you benefits of oryzanol that helps lower your cholesterol. Additionally, it has LOSORB technology which helps in absorbing lower quantities of oil during frying compared to other cooking oils. The oil is a blend of Rice Bran Oil which is rich in MUFA and Sunflower Oil which is rich in PUFA; and hence, gives you a good balance of MUFA and PUFA, which is beneficial for your heart health.

Lower sodium and saturated fat rich snack foods

The American Heart Association and Indian Council of Medical Research recommend ideal consumption of sodium to be no more than 2000 mg a day. Processed foods like chips, crackers or white bread as an evening snack has become a norm amongst adults these days and these foods are usually high in sodium and saturated fat. It is important to check nutritional labels before purchasing processed foods to assess the amount of sodium and saturated fat you are consuming. You can also opt for a healthy switch and consume foods like fruits, sprouts, oats, yogurt or millet based foods for snacks.

Swap fast food with healthy alternatives

Working professionals living sedentary lifestyles tend to depend on fast food to satisfy their hunger pangs. Fast food could have excess amounts of saturated fats, refined sugar and sodium, increasing the possibility of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol imbalance.

5 dietary switches for a healthy lifestyle(ianslife)

To counter this, a simple habit of eating healthy alternatives like hummus wrap, savoury oatmeal, and millet dosas can be relished. Chickpeas, oats, millet flour and veggies have great source of plant-based protein and fiber which improves your good gut bacteria and have low glycemic Index that helps to control blood sugar levels. Leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, fenugreek leaves, kale and collard greens are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals that promote overall health and heart health.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can seem overwhelming, especially with all the information out there. However, breaking down your health goals and making simple, easy changes to your everyday habits can help achieve a healthy lifestyle.

ALSO READ-Super fruits for magic health