On August 13, 2026, Twitter user ELDUCK published a comparative breakdown of the monthly salaries earned by leaders of various nations. The most striking figure for Argentines is that Javier Milei, the country's president, appears as the lowest-paid leader on the list, with US$2,800 per month—a sum that has remained frozen since he assumed office in December 2023.
At the opposite end, Donald Trump (United States) leads the ranking with US$33,333 monthly, followed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at US$31,500 and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with US$25,000.
Monthly Salary Comparison (in USD)
| Leader | Country | Monthly Salary (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| Javier Milei | Argentina | 2,800 (frozen) |
| Donald Trump | United States | 33,333 |
| Friedrich Merz | Germany | 31,500 |
| Mark Carney | Canada | 25,000 |
| Emmanuel Macron | France | 18,400 |
| Andy Burnham | United Kingdom | 16,500 |
| Giorgia Meloni | Italy | 16,200 |
| José Antonio Kast | Chile | 16,000 |
| Rodrigo De La Espriella | Colombia | 13,000 |
The list, which cuts off before showing the salary for Poland's Donald Tusk, highlights stark differences in how nations compensate their heads of state and government. In Argentina's case, the salary freeze is a deliberate policy by Milei, aligning with his fiscal austerity agenda and campaign promises to reduce state spending.
These figures represent official gross salaries and do not include additional benefits, representation allowances, or discretionary budgets. The comparison, widely shared across social media, quickly went viral, igniting discussions about the relationship between leaders' pay and the economic realities of their countries—especially in emerging economies like Argentina, where inflation and poverty rates remain high.
Source: Tweet by @ELDUCK dated 13/08/2026.