Fernando de la Rúa Highest-Paid Politician in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Buenos Aires
  • Last updated on

Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid politicians” released on Sunday.

It's been a rough year for the politician, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 88-year-old Fernando de la Rúa has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid politicians for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 02/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Fernando de la Rúa tops annual list of highest-paid politicians

In 2023 it looked like the politician’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Sunday (February 1) that de la Rúa is the highest-paid politician in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $20 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The Argentine politician has an estimated net worth of $145 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat de la Rúa Burger” chain) in Buenos Aires, a Football Team (the “Córdoba Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderde la Rúa - Argentina), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Fernando) and a fashion line called “Fernando de la Rúa Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Fernando fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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