Despite being undeniably unpopular among vast swathes of Hongkongers, CY Leung is the second highest-paid head of state in the world. Who wudda funk it?
According to government data compiled by Quartz, Hong Kong’s chief executive is raking in USD575,595 (HKD4.5 million) a year, not including all the perks, like accommodation, transport, staff, foot massages, etc.
The only bigwig topping CY is apparently Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minster of Singapore, who earns a jaw-dropping USD1,759,587 (HKD13.6 million)!
Is he really doing that much of a better job than Leung? Yeah, probs.
Leung could, of course, pay himself more if he thought he deserved it, considering that he lifted the lawmaker pay freeze that was put in place in 2009. It’s a good job he’s so modest, we guess.
Salaries for Hong Kong chief execs are on an upward trend.
Governor Chris Patten, the last HK boss before the 1997 handover, was raking in USD273,000 (HKD2.1 million) a year while being “chauffeured about in a Rolls-Royce that bears a crown instead of a license plate,” and given “a 90-foot yacht, a weekend villa, and a household staff of 56”, according to the New York Times.
His successor Tung Chee-hwa upped the ante with USD378,500 (HKD2.9 million) a year, while Donald Tsang reportedly got more still.
Meanwhile, however, Chinese President Xi Jinping reckons he only gets a salary of USD22,300 (HKD173,000). Thank god Brylcreem is cheap as chips!
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