Uruguay’s “World’s Poorest President”, Who Used 1987 Volkswagen Beetle As Presidential Car, Dies At 89

Mujica, the “world’s poorest president” who ditch luxury lifestyle, rode in Volkswagen Beetle as official car, dies at 89.

An Arab Sheikh who thought he was in dire need of cash once offered him $1million for his iconic 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

He said in case the $1M materializes, he said the entire proceedings will be donated to a housing support program.

José Alberto ‘Pepe’ Mujica Cordano, the former president of Uruguay who was labeled the world’s poorest president because of his modest lifestyle, has passed on at 89.

The ex-guerrilla, who served as the 40th president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, was known for donating more than 90% of his $12,000 a month salary to help the poor and small entrepreneurs.

“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”, he said.

“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”.

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Official Car – 1987 Volkswagen Beetle

While most presidents travel around in chauffeur-driven armoured cars and heavily armed convoys, the former president drove his own $1,800 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, popularly known here as Ijakpa.

He once told the Uruguayan weekly Busqueda that an unnamed Arab Sheikh who thought he was in dire need of cash offered him $1million for his iconic 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

Mexico’s ambassador to Uruguay had earlier suggested he should auction his iconic Beetle in Mexico and predicted he could get 10 four-wheel-drive trucks for it.

Mujica, an atheist, said he would gladly auction the Beetle because he has “no commitment to cars” and joked that he didn’t sell it because of his dog Manuela, famous for only having three legs.

He said in case the $1 million materializes, he said he plans to donate the entire proceedings to a housing support program for the homeless. And in case it’s the trucks, he will donate it to the country’s public health office or to his campaign workers.

When asked why someone would pay a fortune for his little car, Mujica said : “Human beings have a bit of fetishism. We need certain material symbols”.

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