How Much Was Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Worth?
According to TIME, current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was in tears as he addressed the media following news of the death of his personal friend, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the hands of a lone gunman early July 8 in Western Japan.
He wasn’t alone in expressing sadness and grief upon hearing the news. Many of the world’s leaders took to social media outlets to share their condolences, including President Joe Biden, who said he was “stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened” by the news of Abe’s assassination.
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s two-time (four-term), and longest serving prime minister was shot twice with a homemade gun as he delivered a campaign speech in Nara on the morning of July 8. He succumbed to his wounds later in the day after going into cardiac arrest.
Tetsuya Yamagami, the 41-year-old alleged shooter, has been arrested by police. Abe was 67 years old and is survived by his wife of 35 years, Akie Matsuzaki.
Birthdate: Sept. 21, 1954.Estimated net worth: $10 million.Primary sources of income: Public service and political career.
Estimated Net Worth: $10 Million
A number of sources, including Celebrity Net Worth, have Abe’s net worth at $10 million.
Abe held high-level executive and government positions for over 40 years, including the highest-level government position of prime minister for nine years.
Reporting on the salaries of 13 major world leaders in 2015, Business Insider wrote that Abe earned $202,700 per year, sitting right in the middle of their rankings — between former British Prime Minster David Cameron and current President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Abe was born into a political family. According to Net Worth Post, both his father and grandfather were politicians and his mother is the daughter of former Japanese prime minister — and instrumental player in the earliest era of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) — Nobusuke Kishi.
Career
Shinzo Abe attended Seikei University in Tokyo, graduating in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then travelled to the United States and studied public policy at the University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning, and Development (now known as USC’s Price School of Public Policy) for three semesters.
Returning to Japan, Abe started at Japan’s leading steel manufacturing company, Kobe Steel Ltd., in 1979 before resigning to pursue a political career. He first landed a position in the Liberal Democratic Party in 1982, as the executive assistant to his father, the minister for foreign affairs.
Abe was elected to the House of Representatives for the Yamaguchi Prefecture district in 1993 and climbed up the LDP ladder, serving as the director of the social affairs division in 1999, the deputy chief cabinet secretary for Yoshirō Mori between 2000 and 2003 and the chief cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi in 2005.
Shinzo Abe’s political career reached its apex in 2006 when he was elected as the prime minister of Japan. At 52, Abe was the youngest prime minister ever elected. He resigned in 2007 amid health concerns only to return as the prime minister of Japan for a second time in 2012, a position he held until 2020.
Personal Life
Abe married socialite and former disc jockey Akie Matsuzaki in 1987. The couple shared no children.
More From GOBankingRates
- 11 Signs You're Struggling Financially -- and 3 Ways To Get Back on Track
- 11 Uncommon Investments That Can Actually Make You A Lot of Money
- 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000
- 5 Fastest Ways to Raise Your Credit Score Without a Credit Card
