World's poorest man

Former President of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, was once considered the poorest and most humble leader in the world. But he doesn't consider himself poor, he feels different.

Mujica took office in March 2010 but never moved into the Presidential Palace in Uruguay’s capital of Montevideo. Instead, he lived on his wife’s farm surrounded by the family dogs.

All through his stay in office as president of Uruguay, Mujica received a monthly salary of roughly $12,000. From this, he lived on $800 only, which is roughly equivalent to an average Uruguayan’s income. The rest of the money, he gave away to local charities.

Although Mujca is no longer president, he created a legacy not only in his country, but also in the world at large–a legacy that suggests that presidents are not kings, but lowly civil servants, and as such, they should behave.

Here are 10 of my favorite quotes of this great man that reveal his simplistic nature. After reading these words, you'll realise that this man is such a good man. People of his type are rare in this corrupt and wicked world we are living in.

JOSE MUJICA's QUOTATIONS

1. "My definition of poor are those who need too much. Because those who need too much are never satisfied."

2. "Some people love money and get into politics. If they love money so much, they should get into commerce, industry, or do whatever they want - it's no sin. But politics is for serving the people."

3. "I can live well with what I have. I'm called 'the poorest president', but I don't feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more."

4. "This is a matter of freedom. If you don't have many possessions then you don't need to work all your life like a slave to sustain them, and therefore you have more time for yourself."

5. "Be yourself and don't try to impose your criteria on the rest. I don't expect others to live like me. I want to respect people's freedom, but I defend my freedom. And that comes with the courage to say what you think, even if sometimes others don't share those views."

6. "I'm not the poorest president. The poorest is the one who needs a lot to live. My lifestyle is a consequence of my wounds. I'm the son of my history. There have been years when I would have been happy just to have a mattress."

7. "If I asked people to live as I live, they would kill me."

8. "I have a way of life that I don't change just because I am a president. I earn more than I need, even if it's not enough for others. For me, it is no sacrifice, it's a duty."

9. "What was my great sin? To have revealed the private property of the bank - well if this is being a criminal, then maybe I'm a great criminal."

10. "A president is a high-level official who is elected to carry out a function. He is not a king, not a god. He is not the witch doctor of a tribe who knows everything. He is a civil servant. I think the ideal way of living is to live like the vast majority of people whom we attempt to serve and represent."