Rishi Sunak’s California flat soars in worth by £125k in yr to £6.4million

Rishi Sunak’s luxury Santa Monica penthouse has soared in value to £6.4million, it can be revealed.

New documents from the LA County property assessor show the PM’s beachfront home rose by more than £125,000 in a year. And it has emerged that his and wife Akshata Murty’s US property tax bill was eight times higher last year than the council tax they pay on three UK homes.

Mr Sunak and wife were billed a whopping $93,000 in property taxes in the year to June 2024 – over £73,500. And the new tax year begins on Monday – meaning their bill will rise further, based on the new valuation.

In the past two years they have paid more than £142,000 in US property taxes, documents show. Meanwhile they paid nearly £9,000 of council tax on two homes in London and a £1.5million mansion in Yorkshire.

Mr Sunak has repeatedly hosed down questions about whether he plans to jet off to California if the Tories face a General Election defeat on Thursday. Former Cabinet member Zac Goldsmith previously suggested the PM will “disappear off to California”.

But the PM said this is “simply not true”, telling reporters when asked if he’s committed to staying in the UK: “Of course I am. Of course, and this is my home. I mean, my football team (Southampton) just got promoted back in the Premiership and I hope to be watching them for years to come in the Premier League.”

Calculations based on tax bands suggest Mr Sunak and Ms Murty paid an estimated £8,913.53 in council tax to Hambleton District Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 2023/24. They have a fortune of £651million, making them the 245th richest people in Britain, according to the Sunday Times rich list. The couple’s California home is in a neighbourhood designed to ensure residents enjoy a “stunning sunset over the Pacific” every night. The Mirror has contacted Mr Sunak’s team for comment.