Which World Leaders Earn the Most? It Peaks at $1.7M

We already know it's good to be king or queen, but 24/7 Wall Street shows it's pretty good financially to be president or prime minister as well. Its list of the world's 20 best-paid political leaders shows that all make many times the average income of its citizens. The leaders' pay runs from about $200,000 to nearly $2 million, and in many cases, those near the top preside over countries with the highest GDP per capita. Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, tops the list at a cool $1.7 million. GDP per capita in Singapore runs about $90,000.

Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, is a distant second at about $575,000. At $400,000, President Trump comes in fourth. New Zealand, with a GDP per capita of $38,500, pays its prime minister nearly $350,000, putting her sixth on the list. Given the global praise Jacinda Ardern received for her response to the mosque shootings last month, New Zealanders might agree that she deserves it. And it's not only political leaders that handle high sums: Britain gives Queen Elizabeth more than $50 million yearly to run her households, the Sun reports. (Ardern also made a list of the world's best leaders.)