Trained bodyguards, armored cars, and in some cases even snipers on the roofs: the powers that be are scared for their own safety and are ready to pay a lot of money to live another day.
From world leaders to successful billionaires, these are the most well-guarded people in the world.
1. Alassane Outtara (Cote d’Ivoire)
The President of Côte d’Ivoire is guarded by a truly huge number of bodyguards and military personnel. There are even guards covering armored vehicles with their bodies, standing on the steps by the doors. They must be getting paid a lot to be ready to sacrifice their lives like that.
2. Kim Jong-un (North Korea)
The meek leader of North Korea is clearly very worried about his safety when going outside or visiting other countries. His presidential cortege is made up of armored cars and guards on motorcycles. In addition to that, Kim Jong-un loves having the guards running on foot beside the armored cars. From the outside, it looks strange and funny, but it works.
3. Shinzo Abe (Japan)
The youngest prime minister of Japan is guarded much better than the old emperor of Japan, who is basically a ceremonial decoration at this point. While the PM is moving around the city, he doesn’t block the road, but the bodyguards are literally hanging out from the cars’ windows to ask other drivers to let them through. If anything goes south, these boys are ready to bring the heat.
4. Elizabeth II (Great Britain)
Queen Elizabeth II is still one of the most influential women in the world, despite being a ceremonial puppet for the most part. The Queen is a symbol that needs to be guarded, so it’s not surprising that the British government pours a lot of resources into keeping her safe. This includes dozens of guards and MI5 agents inside and outside the palace overseeing the whole family and personal bodyguards at her disposal.
5. Donald Trump (USA)
Even before Donald Trump became POTUS, the billionaire paid tremendous attention to his personal security. There are rumors that Trump’s security service continues to recruit people who have served in elite special forces or secret services. During the inauguration, it cost the New York state authorities more than $1 million a day to keep the Trump family safe.
6. Vladimir Putin (Russia)
The Federal Security Bureau is responsible for protecting the President of the Russian Federation. All data on the FSB is highly classified, but according to unconfirmed reports, the secret service provides security for the state’s top officials and does other “work” on the down-low. According to some leaks, the division responsible for the security is up to 50 thousand employees.
7. Xi Jinping (China)
The Central Security Bureau monitors the President’s safety in addition to all other important figures of the Celestial Empire. With a staff of over 8,000 employees and armed guards, it’s pretty easy to guarantee Xi Jinping’s uninterrupted visit. They say it is very difficult to get into the President’s security detail, not only because of the required physical prowess and professionalism, but you’d also have to display unquestioning political reliability.
8. Jeff Bezos (USA)
Did you really think the richest man on earth just goes outside without a security detail surveilling his every step? It may seem like most people either don’t care about Jeff Bezos or don’t have anything against his business. But you forget that his billion-dollar creation — Amazon — killed countless businesses, big and small while being a mediocre marketplace at best. Let’s just say he’s got many enemies all over the world, and to help him avoid their vengeance, Bezos (allegedly) has CIA and FBI agents on his payroll. Nothing goes by them unnoticed.
