The World’s Most Humble Country Leader lives in a small farmhouse and drives his own old Volkswagen car.
He is Jose Mujica, he worked as the leader of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015.
Mujica donates a big part of his salary to help the poor and to support small entrepreneurs, almost 90 percent of his $12,000 monthly salary. This is one of the reasons why he is well known for his charitable work and his willingness to help others.
“I’m called ‘the poorest president’, but I don’t feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more,” according to him.
The president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, whose lifestyle clearly differs sharply from that of most other world leaders. Regardless of the fact that he is holding the highest title in the country, Mujica remained living a very humble life. Together with his wife, they live in a small farmhouse and still drives his old Volkswagen Beetle by himself.
Mujica decided to live in his own house, he never occupied the presidential palace. Thus, the beautiful and glamorous administrative house that used to be the official residence of past leaders of Uruguay is now a museum. He did this to honor past chief executives.
Only two police officers and a three-legged dog act as guards to his official residence.
He was often criticized for his lack of concern over his appearance and posture. In spite of this, criticisms never caught his attention. Instead, he focuses on the more important issues of his country.
Even though many people think that he is unfit for a leadership position, Mujica is not just a random man who got lucky in an election. He spent the 1960s and 1970s as part of the Uruguayan guerrilla Tupamaros, a leftist armed group inspired by the Cuban revolution.
Over his time in Tupamaros, Mujica takes from banks that overcharged the poor. Jose also included bars and other firms which were found to be corrupt and involved in misappropriation of public funds.
He was detained twice in 14 years and hurt 6 times in an escape attempt, but that does not slow him down. He continued to fight dishonesty in his office as the head of the state of Uruguay.
He was hurt six times and spent 14 years in jail, but this does not slow him down.
He continued to fight dishonesty until he was freed in 1985 when Uruguay returned to democracy.
Those years in jail, helped him shape his outlook on life.
According to him, “This is a matter of freedom. If you don’t have many possessions, then you don’t need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself.”
Unlike some other leaders, he prioritizes the public interests over personal gain. Mujica has truly shown that his best interests are always the people of his country and even willing to give up benefits that came with the job when he was the head of the state of Uruguay.
Not many leaders can be compared with him and he is undeniably one in a million.