Jeremy Hunt’s house life – internet value, age-gap spouse’s nickname and property empire

Jeremy Hunt has described his spouse as his ‘secret weapon’ whereas she has an affectionate pet title for the politician.

The Chancellor is about to announce a “plan for growth” in in the present day’s Budget as he stated he needs to maneuver in direction of a “lower tax economy” in a touch at a pre-election giveaway to voters. Speculators estimate Mr Hunt may search to chop a few pence off revenue tax or nationwide insurance coverage to ease the burden on working households.

But what does the minister’s own residence life seem like? The Mirror takes a have a look at his spouse, kids, and spectacular property portfolio.

Mr Hunt met Lucia Gao in 2008 in Warwick at a Hotcourses occasion – a web-based training enterprise which turned then 40-year-old Mr Hunt right into a multi-millionaire. Lucia, who was born in Xi’an, China, was working at Warick University on the time, the place she helped recruit Chinese college students.

There is an 11-year age hole between the couple, with Jeremy now aged 57 and Lucia 45. And this could be why he reportedly describes her because the “sparkler” in his and his household’s lives.

Just lower than a 12 months after they met, Jeremy requested Lucia to marry him throughout a Christmas Eve stroll and the pair later tied the knot in 2009 at Lucia’s house in China, surrounded by household. It was right here the place the political heavyweight got here to be affectionately identified by his spouse as ‘Big Rice.’

Lucia has prior to now let slip that the pet title got here from her grandmother after they had been in China collectively for his or her large day. Speaking to the Mail, she stated: “My grandma found it very hard to say ‘Jeremy’ so she would just call him the ‘big mi’. Mi means ‘rice’, so I call him ‘big rice’.”

And throughout Jeremy’s Tory management marketing campaign in 2019, he revealed that his spouse was his “secret weapon”, saying Lucia was the “perfect Foreign Secretary’s wife” after she accompanied him on a seven-day, five-country tour of Africa.

She is commonly pictured at Conservative Party occasions by his aspect – and Jeremy has beforehand instructed the Daily Telegraph that Lucia’s “toughness” was good to have in a negotiation. It isn’t clear what Lucia’s occupation is now, however she recurrently appeared on Sky TV’s China Hour and introduced her personal present referred to as Signature Flowers Of China.

Lucia can be mum to their three kids – 13-year-old son Jack was born in 2010 adopted by daughters Anna, 11, and Eleanor, 9. They attempt to preserve them out of the highlight however they’ve been pictured from time to time.

In 2018, Mr Hunt was pressured to publicly apologise after getting his spouse’s nationality flawed. As overseas secretary on his first official go to to China, he referred to his spouse as Japanese as a substitute. “My wife is Japanese – my wife is Chinese. That’s a terrible mistake to make,” he instructed his counterpart, the Chinese overseas minister Wang Yi.

He added: “My wife is Chinese and my children are half-Chinese and so we have Chinese grandparents who live in Xi’an and strong family connections in China.” And in final 12 months’s Autumn assertion, he wished Lucia a contented birthday after forgetting to purchase her a card.

Addressing her within the press gallery, he stated she seemed “younger every year” earlier than admitting to feeling “incredibly guilty” for not shopping for her a card, saying he was going to make it as much as her on the weekend. The married couple have a household house in Jeremy’s constituency of Hambledon, in South West Surrey, and his private web site says he splits his time between the property and Westminster.

But after shifting into No 11 Downing Street, the youngsters are reportedly pleasant with the Prime Minister’s kids subsequent door. “The children have already started regular playdates with Rishi [Sunak]’s children, as they’re just next door,” Mr Hunt stated, in keeping with the Mail.

Together, Lucia and Jeremy run an actual property enterprise referred to as Mare Pond Properties Ltd and in keeping with The Evening Standard, they’ve a £1.7m townhouse in Pimlico, South London. As a part of their property portfolio, the couple additionally share seven flats within the waterside Ocean Village growth in Southampton, which they lease out as landlords. Mr Hunt’s internet value isn’t identified precisely, however it’s reportedly in extra of £15m.

Hotcourses, his academic listings firm based in 1991, was bought to an Australian agency in 2017, the place he netted £14.5m. However when he arrange the buy-to-let agency Mare Pond in 2018, a spokesperson stated on the time: “Jeremy and his wife set up the company as a vehicle through which to make charitable donations and no salaries or dividends will be taken from it for their personal benefit.”

Meanwhile, having been an MP for South West Surrey since 2005, he has earned a yearly wage of £86,584. As Chancellor, he has an extra wage on prime, an entitled wage of £71,673 and a claimed wage of £67,505, which means he brings house roughly £150,000 per 12 months.

And in keeping with his Registered Interests, Mr Hunt has shares held in a blind belief, in addition to a half-share of a vacation home in Italy and a half-share of an workplace constructing in London. Jeremy was appointed as Chancellor on October 14, 2022, after Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked from the position. Mr Hunt has remained on this position ever since, regardless of the resignation of Liz Truss in October 2022.