Kevin Rudd is set to earn more than twice his current salary when he leaves his role as Australia's ambassador to the US and becomes global president of a think tank.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that Rudd will be ending his term in Washington at the end of March.
The job is estimated to have paid him a very comfortable $330,000-a-year.
Rudd will become president of the Asia Society, a position he previously held between 2020 and March 2023.
US tax filings show Rudd received USD$503,422 in direct pay and an extra USD$20,585 from related entities in his last year as president and CEO, totalling USD$524,007, about AUD$786,000 at current exchange rates.
The exorbitant salary will add to his considerable wealth, with his wife Therese Rein a self-made millionaire, and the couple having built an impressive property portfolio.
Rudd led the Asia Society from 2020 until stepping down in March 2023 to become ambassador.
The think tank, headquartered in New York, was founded in 1956 and now champions progressive causes in climate and diversity, along with East-West business co-operation.
Rudd's wife Therese Rein (left) sold part of her business for around $190million in 2014
The exorbitant salary will add to his empire, with his wife Therese Rein a self-made millionaire, and the couple building a very impressive property portfolio
A fluent Mandarin speaker, Rudd has long promoted himself as a leading Western voice on China.
During his tenure, he led major projects on US-China relations and climate policy, cementing his reputation as an influential geopolitical voice.
The Asia Society boasts offices in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tokyo and other cities.
Its events attract world leaders, business figures and cultural heavyweights, including figures like billionaire Microsoft found Bill Gates, making it an influential hub in Asia-Pacific affairs.
Ms Rein's business success far outweighs her husband's earnings from public service.
Rein founded Ingeus in 1989, initially as WorkDirections Australia, a private employment services company that went on to win major contracts supporting injured or long-term unemployed Australians.
She took Ingeus global, expanding into the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Poland, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.
The company proved highly profitable.
The Rudds purchased a $17million beachfront property in Noosa (pictured) in 2020
The Rudds owned a luxurious five-bedroom, seven-bathroom sky home in Brisbane's CBD
In 2014, Rein sold part of Ingeus to Providence Service Corporation for up to $225million.
A 2014 SmartCompany analysis estimated she could personally pocket up to $151million, doubling her wealth at the time.
The couple's property portfolio includes a $17million designer mansion in Noosa, which they acquired in 2020.
The seven-bedroom Sunshine Beach estate, featuring panoramic ocean views, was previously owned by David and Louise Hales, founders of Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co, who purchased it in 2018 for $15.2million.
The Rudds also once owned a luxurious five-bedroom, seven-bathroom sky home in Brisbane's prestigious Admiralty Quays, set along the riverfront in the CBD.
They bought the property for $8million in 2016 from Steven Shoobridge, owner of the Star Hotel Group, according to property records.
The penthouse boasts seven car spaces, a marble ensuite, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a massive balcony with a pool and views of the Brisbane River
The exclusive building is home to some of Queensland's most influential figures, including jobs magnate and prolific property investor Sarina Russo.
Rein has also pocketed millions flipping luxury property, most notably in a deal with Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart.
The penthouse boasts seven car spaces and a balcony with a private pool in Brisbane's CBD
Rein made $3million in three months, selling a Sunshine Beach house to Gina Rinehart in 2022
Rein's investment company snapped up a 'classic beach cottage' at Sunshine Beach in September 2021 for $6.75million.
Less than six months later, in March 2022, she offloaded it in a discreet, off-market sale to BV Investments, a Hancock Prospecting subsidiary owned by Rinehart, for a staggering $9.75million.
The lightning-fast turnaround delivered Rein a jaw-dropping $3million profit, which works out to an eye-watering $500,000 for every month she held the keys.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom retreat sits on a 588-square-metre block and even boasts a goat track leading straight down to the surf.
CRE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15457589/Kevin-Rudd-asia-society-salary-wealth-empire.html