Nepal prime minister Balendra “Balen” Shah has declared YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Facebook and iTunes among the main sources of his income, making for an unusual political disclosure in which the country’s top elected leader linked a substantial part of his wealth to digital content and streaming revenue.
Shah, 35, entered high office after a public career that cut across music, engineering and politics. An indie rapper before his rise in public life, he continued to project that identity even after taking office, releasing a song titled 'Jai Mahakali' on the day he was sworn in as PM. Shah’s wife, Sabina Kafle, declared gold and silver worth $340,147 (INR 2.8 crore).
His digital footprint helps explain that position. Shah has 12 lakh subscribers on YouTube, 4.3 lakh on TikTok, 40 lakh on Facebook and 5 lakh on X. In his case, the disclosure reflected the earnings of a public figure who built a large following as a rapper before entering politics.
In property details made public through the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Shah’s financial profile stood apart from that of more conventional politicians, who usually cite business income, real estate or inherited wealth as the main pillars of their assets.
The filing showed Shah held bank deposits of $1,08,550 (INR 91 lakh), which were linked to income from digital content creation and streaming royalties. That figure stood out against his official salary as PM, reported at $8,411.5 a year (INR 7 lakh), along with a monthly expense allowance of $126.4 (about Rs 10,600).
