Akshata Murty: From humble Bengaluru girl to UK's first lady
Rishi Sunak scripted history on Monday after winning the race to lead the Conservative Party and became the prime minister of the United Kingdom. The attention is now on the new UK premier's family, too, particularly his wife—Akshata Murty—as they move into 10 Downing Street. Born in India, she is the daughter of Indian billionaire and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. Here's more about her.
Why does this story matter?
Sunak was on Tuesday officially appointed as the 57th UK PM by King Charles III. The former British finance minister, who is of Indian origin, is also the first-ever Hindu prime minister of the UK. Sunak is set to move into 10 Downing Street with his wife and their two kids, Krishna and Anushka, so the focus will now be on the entire family.
Murty's family background
Born to Narayana Murthy and author-turned-philanthropist Sudha Murthy in 1980 in Karnataka's Hubli, Murty had a modest upbringing. She initially lived with her grandparents as her parents built their careers in Mumbai. Her mother, a feminist, wanted her to grow up in a simple environment. They didn't have a television in their home, and Murty would even travel to school in an auto-rickshaw.
About her educational background
According to The Outlook, Murty completed her schooling at Baldwin Girls' High School, Bengaluru. And for higher studies, she went to California to study French and economics. She then pursued a diploma in clothes manufacturing from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, a well-known fashion college in Los Angeles. Murthy later also did her MBA at the prestigious Stanford University.
Met Sunak at Stanford, got married in 2009
It was at Stanford University that Murty met Sunak while pursuing her MBA, according to The Guardian. Sunak was a Fulbright Scholar at the time with a first-class degree from the renowned Oxford University. The couple fell in love and decided to tie the knot soon. They got married in Bengaluru in 2009 in a simple ceremony.
Manages fashion label and operates venture capital firm
According to reports, Murty currently manages her own fashion label, Akshata Designs, and is also the director of a venture capital business launched by her father in 2010. She is also a director at the capital and private equity firm Catamaran Ventures, Digme Fitness (a gym chain), and high-end menswear brand New & Lingwood, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Murty owns $700M stake in Infosys
Murty is also the director of Tendris, which is a Dutch cleantech incubator fund, reported The Outlook. Moreover, she holds shares worth $700 million in Infosys as well, according to the publication. Besides that, Murty jointly owns at least four properties, including a £7 million-worth house in Kensington, London, with her husband. The couple also reportedly owns a flat in Santa Monica, California.
UK first lady's fair share of controversy
Despite her many positives, Murty recently became embroiled in a controversy. Her non-domicile status in the UK exempts her from paying taxes on overseas earnings even as she earns huge profits. This led to controversy during Sunak's last PM race, forcing her to declare that she would pay taxes willingly despite having no legal obligation. Sunak had also downplayed the issue at the time.
