Read about Bjarni Benediktsson net worth, age, wife, children, height, family, parents, salary, and party as well as other information you need to know.
Introduction
Bjarni Benediktsson is an Icelandic politician, who served as prime minister of Iceland from January to November 2017. He has been the leader of the Icelandic Independence Party since 2009 and served as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs from 2013 to 2017, a post he later retained under Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
Early life
| Name | Bjarni Benediktsson |
| Net Worth | $4 million |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Age | 53 years |
| Height | 1.75m |
Bjarni Benediktsson also known as Bjarni Ben was born on January 26, 1970 (age 53 years) in Reykjavík, Iceland. His great-uncle was the former prime minister of Iceland of the same name, Bjarni Benediktsson.
Benediktsson has a law degree from the University of Iceland and also went on to learn German and law at the Goethe-Institut and University of Freiburg respectively in Germany from 1995 to 1996. In the following year, he would attend the University of Miami in the United States, where he earned an LL.M. degree. He then returned to Iceland, working as an attorney.
Political career
Bjarni Benediktsson entered the national parliament in 2003 and has been active in several committees in the areas of economy and taxation, industry and foreign affairs.
Bjarni was elected leader of the Conservative Independence Party at its national convention on 29 March 2009 with 58.1 percent of the vote, about a month before the April 2009 Icelandic legislative elections.
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The party came in second in the elections with 16 seats, nine fewer than in the previous elections. After conceding defeat on 26 April 2009, Bjarni said his party had lost the trust of voters. “We lost this time but we will win again later,” he said.
In the 2013 Althing elections on 28 April, the Independence Party and their ally the Progressive Party each won 19 seats. On 17 May 2013, Icelandic media reported that Bjarni Benediktsson would take up the position of Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs in a cabinet led by Progressive Party leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson.
In the 2016 Althing elections, the Independence Party won 21 seats, while the Progressive Party only won 8. Shortly after the results, Prime Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson resigned from his post. A new coalition between the Independence Party, the Reform Party and Bright Future was formed in January 2017 with Bjarni designated to become Prime Minister.
In 2015, it was revealed that Bjarni Benediktsson had registered on Ashley Madison, a website for extramarital affairs. In response, Bjarni and his wife said that they had both registered on the site because they were curious. His username was “IceHot1”. As reported in 2016, Bjarni “shared what is known as ‘power of attorney’ over a shell company” involved in the Panama Papers.
Bjarni Benediktsson came under criticism in January 2017 for not revealing a government report on the offshore bank activities of Icelanders before the 2016 parliamentary elections. Bjarni falsely told reporters that he had not seen the report prior to the elections. He later apologized for his “inaccurate timeline”.
Shortly before midnight on 23 December 2020, police in Reykjavík dissolved a gathering of 40-50 people at the art gallery Ásmundarsalur for breach of COVID-19 restrictions. The police report stated that a senior minister in the government had been present, later revealed to be Bjarni. At the time, COVID-19 restrictions limited gatherings in Iceland to ten people. The venue, which sells alcoholic beverages, was also not allowed to be open after 10 pm.
Bjarni Benediktsson claimed that he had visited the exhibition with his wife to greet their friends and that he was only present for 15 minutes during which the number of guests increased. “The right reaction would have been to leave the gallery as soon as I realized that the number of people exceeded the limit. I didn’t do that and I apologize for that mistake” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
According to a source of the newspaper Vísir, Bjarni was however present for at least 45 minutes. Chief epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason said that Bjarni’s actions set a “bad example” and he did not expect the public to perceive it well. Furthermore, he said the gathering had been a clear violation of COVID-19 restrictions.
Bjarni Benediktsson became Prime Minister of Iceland on 11 January 2017. In September 2017, the future of the Icelandic government and Bjarni’s tenure as prime minister was put in doubt when the Bright Future party withdrew from the governing coalition. Bright Future did this in the wake of reporting that government ministers of the Independence Party had concealed that Bjarni’s father, Benedikt Sveinsson, recommended that the criminal record of convicted child sex offender Hjalti Sigurjón Hauksson be erased.
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The Minister of Justice, Sigríður Andersen, had informed Bjarni about his father’s involvement in the letter of recommendation in July and refused to disclose the recommendation’s author until compelled to by a parliamentary committee. After the 2017 parliamentary elections, Katrín Jakobsdóttir became prime minister, and in a coalition agreement, Bjarni became the finance minister again.
Wife
Bjarni Benediktsson is currently married to his wife Þóra Margrét Baldvinsdóttir, they had their wedding in Iceland. Together with his wife, they have four children.
Bjarni Benediktsson net worth
How much is Bjarni Benediktsson worth? Bjarni Benediktsson net worth is estimated at around $4 million. His main source of income is from his primary work as a politician. Bjarni Benediktsson’s salary per month and other career earnings are over $300,000 dollars annually. His remarkable achievements have earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. He is one of the richest and most influential politicians in Iceland. He stands at an appealing height of 1.75m and has a good body weight which suits his personality.
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