Akshata Murty: what to know about Rishi Sunak's fashion designer wife

Rishi Sunak broke records with his appointment as UK Prime Minister in October 2022, seeing him become the first British-Asian Prime Minister and the youngest UK Prime Minister in 200 years.

The most talked-about record broken by the PM however regards wealth, with Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty sharing an estimated net worth of £730 million. This makes Sunak the richest Prime Minister the country has ever had, with his net worth almost twice that of the King of England. 

It is fashion designer Akshata Murty who has made the most headlines in relation to the couple's net worth, with their wealth coming mainly from her stake in Infosys, her tech billionaire father's company. 

The now "First Lady" of the UK is one of the wealthiest women in the country. And from her software heiress rank to her fashion designer career, Murty is making non-stop headlines.

So what do we know about Akshata Murty? Who is her father? And what is her high flying fashion job? Here's what you need to know.

Who is Akshata Murty?

Akshata Murty is a software heiress, fashion designer and the wife of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Akshata Murty childhood

Akshata was born in India in April 1980. According to reports, Akshata and her brother Rohan were raised by their grandparents while their parents, Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty, pursued their successful careers. She relocated to the United States for University, where she studied economics and French at Claremont McKenna College, and later Fashion Design and Merchandising.

Akshata Murty and Rishi Sunak

Akshata and Rishi met at Stanford University where they were both MBA students, before returning to India. The couple wed in a two-day ceremony in Bangalore. They are reported to have lived in India for four years together before moving to the UK where Rishi became MP for Richmond (Yorks). The couple share two daughters, Anoushka and Krishna, splitting their time as a family between their multiple UK properties.

What is Akshata Murty's job?

Akshata Murty worked in finance and marketing, before a career change saw her set up her own fashion business, Akshata Designs. The now defunct brand saw Murty blend local Indian craftsmanship with Western silhouettes, and proved popular across the fashion world.

Since its closure, Murty is a shareholder in various businesses, including Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria and Catamaran Ventures UK, while holding a 0.93% stake in her father's software company.

Who is Akshata Murty's father?

Akshata Murty's father is Narayana Murthy, an Indian billionaire businessman who co-founded software company, Infosys. Murthy, dubbed "India's Bill Gates", has an estimated net worth of £3.8 billion, which according to Forbes makes him the 654th richest person in the world.

"Congratulations to Rishi. We are proud of him and wish him success," Narayana Murthy announced in a statement following his son-in-law's appointment as PM. "We are confident he will do his best for the people of the United Kingdom."

What is Akshata Murty's net worth?

Akshata Murty shares an estimated net worth of £730 million with Rishi Sunak, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. This is largely in part to Murty, who has a 0.93% stake in her father's software company. This is reported to account for over £600 million of their net worth, and makes Akshata one of the wealthiest women in the UK.

Akshata Murty or Akshata Murthy?

You may have noticed two spellings for Akshata's surname, with her family divided on their preferences. So, is it Murty or Murthy? The former. Akshata's father Narayana uses the surname, 'Murthy', while her mother Sudha goes by 'Murty'. Akshata has chosen to adopt the same surname as her mother, going by 'Murty' instead of 'Murthy'.

We will continue to update this story.