Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has taken a new role at Goldman Sachs, returning to the investment bank where he began his career two decades ago.
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He joins as a senior advisor, offering guidance to clients on global political and economic trends.
Sunak, who stepped down as Prime Minister in July 2024 following a historic electoral defeat, will serve part-time while retaining his seat as Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton.
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon welcomed Sunak back, praising his “unique perspectives” and noting he’ll also contribute to internal learning programs globally.
Sunak’s salary will be donated to The Richmond Project, a charity he co-founded with his wife Akshata Murty to boost numeracy across the UK.
Restrictions and Oversight
The UK’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) has cleared the role but placed several restrictions:
- Sunak cannot advise other governments or sovereign wealth funds.
- He is barred from lobbying the UK government on Goldman’s behalf.
- He may not work with clients he dealt with directly as PM.
Acoba flagged the potential risk of unfair access to privileged information, given Sunak’s time in office.
Background
Sunak first joined Goldman Sachs as an intern in 2000, later becoming an analyst until 2004. He went on to co-found an investment firm before entering Parliament in 2015. As Chancellor under Boris Johnson, he gained public prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for his furlough and support schemes.
In addition to his new Goldman Sachs role, Sunak also holds unpaid positions at the Blavatnik School of Government (Oxford) and the Hoover Institution (Stanford). He has earned over £500,000 from paid speaking engagements since April.
