Donald Trump will arguably become the world’s most powerful leader on 20 January – but he won’t be the best-paid.

The incoming president’s US$400,000 pay packet will put him third in the list of best-paid world leaders according to data compiled by PoliticalSalaries.com, a not-for-profit website that compares politicians’ pay across the globe.

The highest-paid leader is the prime minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, who earns a staggering US$1.6 million as the head of government for the island nation of 6 million people.

Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter is the second-best-paid global leader, with a salary of around US$531,000. 

The leaders of Australia, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand and Luxembourg complete the top 10. 

The US presidential salary has remained the same for 24 years, with the most recent increase approved by Congress in 1999 and taking effect from January 2001.

The 1999 amendment doubled the presidential salary from its previous amount of US$200,000, making George W. Bush the first president to earn US$400,000.

The 1999 pay rise was the first increase since 1969, when the presidential salary jumped from US$100,000 to $200,000 at the start of Richard Nixon’s presidency – equivalent to over US$1 million today in real terms.

Before winning the 2016 election, Trump pledged to donate his full presidential salary to charity.

However, his tax returns later sparked questions about whether he followed through on his promise. 

Photo credit: Pixabay (Creative Commons)