Who is Jeremy Hunt? Everything you need to know including his age, net worth and wife

15 March 2023, 10:38

Jeremy Hunt speaking
Jeremy Hunt was announced the Chancellor of Exchequer in October 2022. Picture: Alamy

By Zoe Adams

Chancellor of Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is set to make huge changes to childcare, pensions and energy prices in the UK but who is he? Here's the basic facts you should know children and political career.

Jeremy Hunt was announced as the new Chancellor of Exchequer on October 14th following Kwasi Kwarteng's sacking after the disastrous mini budget.

Having previously served as health secretary and foreign minister, as well as running for leader of the Conservative party twice, Jeremy has quite the background in British politics.

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Related article: Spring Budget 2023 childcare: What will Jeremy Hunt say about childcare?

So who is Jeremy Hunt? Here's everything you need to know about the MP from his family life with his wife and children to his previous business and political views.

Jeremy Hunt outside 10 Downing Street
Jeremy Hunt has a long career in politics and business. Picture: Alamy

Who is Jeremy Hunt?

Full name: Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt

Age: 55 (born November 1 1966)

From: Kennington, London

Wife: Lucia Hunt

Children: Eleanor, Anna and Jack Hunt

Parliament constituency: South West Surrey

Jeremy Hunt history and background

The eldest son of his father Admiral Sir Nicholas Hunt, Jeremy began his education in the private Charterhouse School where he was head boy. He then continued his education at Oxford University, studying philosophy, politics and economics of which he achieved a first class honours degree.

Before he took a turn into politics, he was an English teacher in Japan which led to him co-founding his business 'Hotcourses'.

The Chancellor met his wife at one of his work events in Warwick in 2008 where she worked at the university and it wasn't long before they began a relationship.

The couple, who have an 11 year age gap, married in 2009 in a traditional Chinese ceremony in Xi'an.

Jeremy has three children with Lucia, Jack who was born in 2010, Anna in 2012 and Eleanor in 2014.

Jeremy Hunt and wife Lucia
Jeremy Hunt and wife Lucia have been married for more than a decade. Picture: Alamy

Does Jeremy Hunt have a business background? What's his net worth?

Jeremy successfully created 'Hotcourses' which he sold for £14million in 2017, making him one of the richest politicians.

He's also set up a charity to help AIDS in orphans in Africa which he is still involved with today.

Jeremy and his wife also founded a luxury real estate company together called Mare Pond Properties Limited which faced controversy after it was reported he failed to declare his interest to Companies House.

He claimed they were "honest administrative mistakes which have already been rectified".

James O'Brien in despair as Jeremy Hunt is 'coming to the rescue'

What is Jeremy Hunt's political background and what are his views?

Mr Hunt first began his career in politics when he was elected into parliament in 2005 as the MP for South West Surrey.

From this year until 2007 he was the shadow minister for disabled people as a reward for his support for David Cameron who he attended Oxford with.

In 2010, when the coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats was formed, he moved on to become the cabinet secretary of state for culture, Olympics, media and sport.

In 2012, Jeremy faced calls to resign over his role in the BSkyB takeover where the Labour leader, Ed Miliband at the time, said he should quit. However, he survived the scandal and went on to become health secretary.

He then become foreign secretary in 2018 after Boris Johnson quit over Theresa May's Brexit strategy. While he himself voted to remain, he did say he would support leave views.

In more recent years, he put himself up for Prime Minister in 2019 of which he went against Boris and lost. He then went in the running again more recently, but was knocked out of the first stages.

Jeremy is now the Chancellor of Exchequer, a role he obtained after Rishi Sunak's appointment as Prime Minister where he has had to face the cost of living crisis, rising energy bills and increasing petrol costs.