“The world’s ‘poorest president,' who lived in a farmhouse during his tenure and donated 90 % of his salary to charity

On the dusty outskirts of Montevideo, far from marble halls and motorcades, a small farmhouse once served as the home of a president. The man who lived there watered flowers in the garden, shared his space with a three-legged dog, and drove to work in a faded blue Volkswagen Beetle. His name was José Mujica, a leader who quietly redefined what power could look like. For much of the world, he became known as “the poorest president.” But Mujica himself rejected that label. Poverty, he once suggested, was not about owning little. It was about endlessly wanting more. Scroll down to know more.José Alberto Mujica Cordano was born on 20 May 1935 in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. His father, a small farmer, died when Mujica was still a child, leaving his mother, the daughter of poor Italian immigrants, to raise him in modest circumstances. The young Mujica grew up surrounded by agriculture and hardship, experiences that would shape his worldview. He often described his upbringing not as miserable, but as “dignified poverty”, a life where survival required effort but dignity remained intact. In his youth, he developed a deep interest in politics, particularly the struggles of workers and farmers. That passion soon pushed him toward radical activism. In the 1960s, Mujica joined the Tupamaros, a left-wing urban guerrilla movement that emerged in response to growing inequality and political unrest in Uruguay. The group carried out robberies, kidnappings and armed actions aimed at challenging the government. During one confrontation with police, Mujica was shot six times and later captured. Over the years, he was arrested several times and eventually spent nearly 13 years in prison during Uruguay’s military dictatorship. Mujica found himself among the regime’s notorious group of "nine hostages"—individuals imprisoned by the military who faced threats of execution if the Tupamaros chose to recommence their armed operations. A significant portion of his incarceration was characterized by suffering under harsh conditions and enduring extreme isolation, with periods spent confined in wells or subterranean cells. That prolonged experience in isolation had a transformative impact on him. It compelled him to engage in profound introspection regarding the essence of life, the nature of power, and the implications of violence. When democracy triumphantly returned to Uruguay in 1985, Mujica emerged from his years of imprisonment not as a fervent militant revolutionary, but rather as a transformed individual, one who was poised to seek meaningful change through the pathway of democratic politics.Decades later, the former prisoner achieved something remarkable. In 2009, Mujica won Uruguay’s presidential election and took office in 2010, serving until 2015. Yet the presidency did little to change how he lived. While most heads of state occupy grand official residences, Mujica refused to move into Uruguay’s presidential palace. Instead, he continued living with his wife, Lucía Topolansky, on their modest flower farm outside Montevideo.His daily commute to the presidential office was often undertaken in an aging and somewhat worn-out 1987 Volkswagen Beetle. There was a remarkable absence of security detail surrounding him during these travels. Visitors arriving at his home would sometimes be greeted by his well-known three-legged dog, Manuela, who could be spotted leisurely meandering through the garden. The striking difference between Mujica and the traditional portrayal of political authority was so astonishing that journalists from all around the globe began to refer to him as "the world’s poorest president." The origin of his nickname can be traced back to an exceptional choice he made while serving as president. During his time in office, Mujica made the remarkable decision to donate a significant portion of his monthly presidential salary, approximately 90 percent, which totaled around $12,000, toward charitable organizations and initiatives that provide support to impoverished individuals and aspiring small entrepreneurs. After making these generous donations, he retained only a modest amount for his personal use, which was roughly equivalent to what an average citizen in Uruguay earns. For Mujica, this decision was straightforward and clear-cut. He held a firm belief that the political arena should prioritize serving the needs of society rather than enriching the pockets of its leaders. He famously articulated that leading a simple life enabled him to maintain his sense of freedom. By owning fewer possessions, he experienced fewer worries and reduced the number of compromises he had to make.Despite his humble lifestyle, Mujica presided over one of the most progressive periods in Uruguay’s modern history. During his presidency, Uruguay legalized same-sex marriage, decriminalized abortion, and became the first country in the world to fully legalize recreational marijuana. His government also strengthened labour rights and increased minimum wages while maintaining economic stability. Even critics acknowledged his unusual authenticity. Mujica spoke plainly, often rejecting the polished language typical of global politics.In his later years, Mujica remained an influential voice in Latin American politics and public life. In 2024 he revealed he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. On 13 May 2025, he died at the age of 89, just a week before his birthday, at his farmhouse near Montevideo, the same modest home he had never abandoned, even as president. For many Uruguayans, Mujica represented something rare in modern politics: integrity without spectacle. He had lived through rebellion, imprisonment, and the highest office in the land. Yet in the end, his most powerful statement was not a speech or a policy. It was the quiet message of the life he chose to live, a reminder that leadership does not always reside in palaces. Sometimes, it grows in small houses at the end of dusty roads, beside a garden of flowers and an old car waiting patiently outside.