MEET the World’s 'Poorest' President who Lives on a Farm & Whose Official car is a 1987 Beetle!
He lives on a farm, and his official car is a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. He donates 90% of his monthly salary to charity. President of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, is not your average president.
It is commonplace to see some presidents of countries living lavish lifestyles, and in some extreme cases, looting their countries’ finances for personal gain. But not Mujica.
He is commonly known as the world’s “poorest” president because of his austere lifestyle.
Mujica rejected the luxurious presidential residence the government provided for him and instead opted to live on his wife’s farm located on a dirt road outside the country’s capital. They have no domestic workers – they do all the farm work by themselves. The only staff they have are two police officers.
In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration – mandatory for officials in Uruguay – was $1,800, the value of his Beetle.
"I'm called 'the poorest president', but I don't feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more," he says.
"This is a matter of freedom. If you don't have many possessions then you don't need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself," he says.
"I may appear to be an eccentric old man... But this is a free choice."
The Uruguayan leader made a similar point when he addressed the Rio+20 summit in June this year: "We've been talking all afternoon about sustainable development. To get the masses out of poverty.
"But what are we thinking? Do we want the model of development and consumption of the rich countries? I ask you now: what would happen to this planet if Indians would have the same proportion of cars per household than Germans? How much oxygen would we have left?
"Does this planet have enough resources so seven or eight billion can have the same level of consumption and waste that today is seen in rich societies? It is this level of hyper-consumption that is harming our planet."
Mujica accuses most world leaders of having a "blind obsession to achieve growth with consumption, as if the contrary would mean the end of the world".
But however large the gulf between the vegetarian Mujica and these other leaders, he is no more immune than they are to the ups and downs of political life.
"Many sympathise with President Mujica because of how he lives. But this does not stop him for being criticised for how the government is doing," says Ignacio Zuasnabar, a Uruguayan pollster.
The Uruguayan opposition says the country's recent economic prosperity has not resulted in better public services in health and education, and for the first time since Mujica's election in 2009 his popularity has fallen below 50%.
This year he has also been under fire because of two controversial moves. Uruguay's Congress recently passed a bill which legalised abortions for pregnancies up to 12 weeks. Unlike his predecessor, Mujica did not veto it.
He is also supporting a debate on the legalisation of the consumption of cannabis, in a bill that would also give the state the monopoly over its trade.
"Consumption of cannabis is not the most worrying thing, drug-dealing is the real problem," he says

Total wealth $1800? okay, i know i hate corruption and give Kudos to this man. But living like this as the President of any country in the world is borderline "MADNESS"

And to still drive a "TORTOISE CAR" just absolutely shut me up.

b

The two guys above me ARE YOU OKAY?

Can we get this kind of 'president' at least one in Africa?

Buhari should take cue

the man have the interest of his people in mind unlike others.

His name will be written in the world guiness book of record and will be remembered after his death for the love of his country. Bible says if you want to be a leader you must be a servant.

Na wa o. Our counsellors are even richer than man self.

What a man!!! #IRespectYou

How many times we go see this post; and who tell you say the Man is poor; when he can afford his basic needs to keep him and his family going? That's what the negative ones will say but my EDUCATION will not fail me that much. It doesn't matter how many times this is posted at least somebody is definitely seeing it for the first time and could be inspired by it. It is a lesson for us as a people that Castles, Yachats, Private jets, Limousines, Expensive cloths and in short materialism is not a must before you earn respect. This post is of a PRESIDENT but the main target of the message should be to the likes of DINO MELYE and many other Nigerian SENATORS and PASTORS who are just too MAJESTIC and MATERIALISTIC. Finally I wan to remind the OP of a certain individual who ones played his guitar in clubs to be able to argument his salary and rode on a bicycle to save himself money that would have been used to fuel his only car a 505 Peugeot yet he was PRESIDENT. His name was Thomas Sankara of Burkinaa Faso former Upper Volta. He was a very "poor President" when Mobutu was a Billionaire President in Zaire. He was never worried by that.

He knows that all the accumulated wealth will not follow him to the grave... Only his good deeds on earth will be his gain.... May God be with him and I wish Pple will learn from this man. Long life man!

Na wa oooo,can i ever do this

cc lalasticlala

Story for the gods, I see many lies in this story

For me dis is inappropriate!

Very very stale. We have read this so many times on nairaland.

I love pple that are selfless buh dis 1 is smthing else

MKO4ever:
Story for the gods, I see many lies in this story

What do you know? Why not do a little research on your own...outside nairaland.

UncleJudax:

What do you know? Why not do a little research on your own...outside nairaland.

Judas you don reach here again?talk your own and worry less about wetin others write.

Judas write your own.

DjAndroid:
Very very stale. We have read this so many times on nairaland.

So?

Hmmm...dts wat i call d real change n wat i expect from our leaders n politicians...nt d billions dey spend on just allowances..
In oda news...hbdllnp to mi n ma twin bro
Oya shakiti bobo

HungerBAD:


Judas you don reach here again?talk your own and worry less about wetin others write.

Judas write your own.

Hehehe. Whats there to write when you hardly comprehend anything.

The poorest president in the world no be Buhari ? Ehe

UncleJudax:

So?

So? Again the story is stale.

Hmnñnnnn

Well...at least we know what he does with his money...donate to charity

A perfect example for his cabinet to follow; and if this is followed, then it means there might be no impoverished citizens in that country. Though this post is about his personal life but I'm sure he has a government jet for international meetings.

So as it is, this presido can waka on the street without guards, he can even play set ,or 5-aside , with boys on the street.

DjAndroid:


So? Again the story is stale.

Just move right on. Everything here is either stale or redundant. Just have fun! Cioa.

He's not poor. He merely chose a simple life. But unlike our political maradona a.k.a Dụllardinho a.k.a BabaOneChance it reflects on his lifestyle and dat of HIS FAMILY.