Rishi Sunak Returns to Goldman Sachs, Pledges Entire Salary to Education Charity

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stepped back into the world of high finance, taking up a prestigious new role as Senior Adviser at Goldman Sachs Group — the global investment bank where he once began his career. In a philanthropic twist, Sunak has announced that he will donate his entire salary from the role to an education-focused charity he co-founded with his wife, Akshata Murty.

The Richmond Project, the charity benefitting from his Goldman Sachs earnings, aims to boost mathematics and numeracy skills among children and young people across England. The initiative reflects the couple’s shared commitment to improving educational outcomes and addressing learning gaps post-pandemic.

Goldman Sachs confirmed Sunak’s appointment on Tuesday, after the UK’s 12-month post-ministerial waiting period had elapsed following his resignation as Prime Minister after the general election defeat on July 4, 2024.

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The UK Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) has approved Sunak’s new role — with conditions. In its published guidance, the committee emphasized the need to “mitigate the potential risks” associated with his prior access to sensitive government information.

“There is a reasonable concern that your appointment could be seen to offer unfair access and influence within the UK government,” the committee stated. To prevent any appearance of lobbying, the agreement explicitly prohibits Sunak from engaging with government officials or drawing on privileged information gained during his time in office.

The role is strictly advisory, focused on strategy, macroeconomics, and geopolitical trends, and excludes any responsibilities that might conflict with his former position in government.

Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon welcomed Sunak’s return, highlighting the value of his experience and insight. “He will advise our clients globally and contribute to our culture of learning and development. His perspective on the global economic landscape will be a tremendous asset,” Solomon said in a statement.

Sunak’s appointment marks a full-circle moment, having started his professional journey at Goldman Sachs as a summer intern in 2000 before joining full-time as an analyst from 2001 to 2004. He later transitioned to politics in 2015, becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer and then Britain’s first Prime Minister of Indian heritage in 2022.

Although no longer in government, Sunak remains active in politics as a backbench Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton.

His reentry into finance — coupled with his philanthropic pledge — signals a new chapter for the former PM, blending private sector influence with a public-spirited mission to tackle educational inequality.

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