Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy? Entertainer-turned-politician who once played a fictional Ukrainian president on a show; his net worth is...

There's a man who is winning netizens' hearts on social media, plus fetching support from multiple world leaders over his calm and composed attitude during the White House meeting - it's none other than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Hoping to win more support from the US administration amid the ongoing war with Russia, the Ukrainian president met with Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance at White House. However, what was supposed to be a formal meeting between the two world leaders descended into acrimony after Trump and Vance engaged in a "shouting match", condemning Zelenskyy over his "lack of gratitude". 

The meeting was broadcast globally, watched by billlions and trillions of people. While several stood with Trump and his VP Vance, many others condemned the US leaders' "way of treating" the president of Ukraine in front of the media.

Some even called the meeting an "embarassment" for the United States. 

At first, Donald Trump threw a sarcastic jibe at Zelenskyy's outfit (he was wearing his signature military attire - a black sweater and cargo pants). "Oh look! You're all dressed up today", said Trump. 

Next, an American reporter questioned the Ukrainian president whether he owned a suit or not. To this, he gave it back, saying, "I will wear a (suit) costume after this war finishes, yes. Maybe something like yours, yes, maybe something better. I don't know, we will see. Maybe something cheaper. Thank you."

Notably, Volodymyr Zelenskyy often appears in military attires, signalling to the world that his country is still at war. 

Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has been serving as the president since 2019. He was mostly noticed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, since February 2022. 

Born in 1978 to an Ukrainian Jewish family, Volodymyr Zelenskyy obtained a degree of law from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics. However, he later chose a different path, opting for a career in comedy and entertainment. 

As per a report by Entertainment Times, he created the production company Kvartal 95, which produced films, cartoons, and TV shows. It also aired the popular TV series Servant of the People, in which, interestingly, Zelenskyy played a fictional Ukrainian president on the show.

In 2019, he declared his candidacy for the Ukrainian presidential polls. However, even before he formally declared his candiday, he had become one of the frontrunners in opinion polls. 

Net worth 

Unlike his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, Zelenskyy never was a billionaire, as per Forbes. In 2022, his net worth stood around roughly 20 million dollars.