Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has rejoined Goldman Sachs as a senior adviser, marking his first major appointment since stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party in July 2024. Sunak previously worked at the Wall Street investment bank from 2000 to 2004, beginning as a summer intern before becoming a junior analyst.
Goldman Sachs announced that Sunak will advise clients globally on a broad range of issues, leveraging his "unique perspectives and insights on the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape," according to CEO David Solomon. Alongside advising clients, Sunak will also engage with Goldman employees worldwide, contributing to the firm’s learning and development culture.
Although Sunak remains the MP for Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, his new advisory role at Goldman will be part-time. Notably, his salary from this position will be donated to The Richmond Project, a charity he founded with his wife Akshata Murty in 2025, focused on improving numeracy across the UK.
Sunak’s appointment was reviewed and approved by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which oversees jobs taken by former ministers. Acoba set restrictions, including a one-year lobbying ban, to prevent conflicts of interest. Under these rules, Sunak cannot advise other governments or their sovereign wealth funds, cannot lobby the UK government, and cannot engage with clients he dealt with directly during his premiership.
Before entering politics, Sunak had over a decade of career in financial services, including his early years at Goldman Sachs and later as a co-founder of an international investment firm. He entered Parliament in 2015 and served in several key roles, including Chancellor of the Exchequer during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he introduced landmark schemes such as furlough support.
Following Liz Truss's short tenure, Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022 and led the country until July 2024, when the Conservatives suffered a historic electoral defeat. Since leaving office, Sunak has also taken on unpaid academic positions at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. However, he has earned a significant income from speaking engagements.
Sunak’s return to Goldman Sachs marks a full-circle moment, reconnecting him with the firm where his professional journey began. CEO David Solomon welcomed the move, stating, “I’m excited to welcome Rishi back to Goldman Sachs in his new capacity.”
Born in Southampton to Indian-origin parents, Sunak studied at Oxford and Stanford and worked in finance before entering politics. As Prime Minister, he focused on economic recovery, reducing NHS wait times, and curbing illegal immigration. After stepping down, he returned to the backbenches and took an advisory role at Goldman Sachs in 2025.
[Rh/Eth/VP]