 "Is former UK PM Rishi Sunak closer to a California dream after new career path?")
Britain’s former prime minister Rishi Sunak has taken up two new positions in the UK and the US.
Sunak has accepted academic roles at the University of Oxford in the UK and Stanford University in the US.
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Both institutions are alma maters of the Conservative Party MP for Richmond and Northallerton in northern England. The role at Stanford, in particular, will undoubtedly bring him closer to his California dream.
Does this indicate he might move to the US?
Rishi Sunak’s new career move
The former UK Prime Minister has announced he will join the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government as a member of its World Leaders Circle.
In addition, Sunak will take up a visiting fellowship at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, a think tank based in California.
Having studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford before earning an MBA at Stanford, Sunak expressed his enthusiasm for his new roles, BBC reported.
In a statement, he said, “Both Blavatnik and Hoover do superb work on how we can rise to the economic and security challenges we face and seize the technological opportunities of our time.”
“I have huge affection for both Oxford and Stanford. I was fortunate enough to study at both, they shaped my life and career, and I look forward to contributing to their world-leading research in the months and years ahead,” Sunak added.
It was at Stanford that Sunak met his wife, Akshata Murty.
The announcement comes after months of speculation about whether Sunak might move back to California, a topic frequently used by Labour Party politicians during last year’s general election campaign.
Notably, these are Sunak’s first roles since returning to the backbenches last year.
A $7.2 million beach home in California
Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, met while studying for their MBAs at Stanford University in Silicon Valley. After their marriage in India, the couple bought a penthouse flat in Santa Monica, California, with plans to settle there.
The flat, valued at $7.2 million (£5.5 million) by US property website Redfin, offers stunning views of the iconic Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean, according to The Guardian.
Murty, daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, purchased the penthouse – one of four in the Waverly complex on Ocean Avenue – from the developer in June 2014.
Santa Monica, ranked as the sixth most expensive address in the US, had a median home price of $4.1 million in November 2021, according to Property Shark. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Ben Affleck, Reese Witherspoon, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West are often seen around Santa Monica’s “muscle beach”.
Following the Conservative Party’s landslide defeat in last year’s general election, rumours of Sunak planning a move to California intensified. Before returning to the UK and entering politics, Sunak managed a hedge fund, Theleme Partners, in Santa Monica.
Speaking on his ties to California, outgoing US President Joe Biden joked during their 2023 meeting in San Diego, “I want to welcome you back to California - he’s a Stanford man, and he still has a home here in California. That’s why I’m being very nice to you, maybe you can invite me to your home in California.
Will the British-Indian politician relocate to California?
Despite constant speculation from his political opponents, particularly during challenging polling periods, Sunak has firmly dismissed the idea of moving to California in the past.
In a 2024 ITV interview, Sunak reiterated his stance, stating, “It’s simply not true. I mean, it’s just simply not true,” adding that he remained “committed to staying in the UK.”
“This is my home,” he said. “I mean, my football team just got promoted back in the Premiership, and I hope to be watching them for years to come in the Premier League.”
During his final Prime Minister’s Questions in October, Sunak light-heartedly addressed the rumours.
“I’m happy to confirm reports that I will now be spending more time in the greatest place where the scenery is indeed worthy of a movie set and everyone is a character. That’s right, if anyone needs me, I will be in Yorkshire.”
Rishi Sunak before British politics
Before entering the political arena, Sunak built a successful career in international business and finance. He co-founded an investment firm that worked with companies across multiple regions and played a key role in supporting small and entrepreneurial British businesses.
Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, said, “His deep experience in policy and politics will contribute mightily to a reform agenda on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Sunak’s new academic roles at Oxford and Stanford will run parallel to his duties as a Conservative MP in the House of Commons, where he sits on the Opposition backbenches.
In taking up academic positions, Sunak follows a path previously taken by former British Prime Ministers.
Tony Blair lectured at Yale University after leaving office, while Gordon Brown became a “distinguished leader in residence” at New York University.
With inputs from PTI
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