Dalai Lama Net Worth : Lifestyle & Charity

Publish date: 2024-05-08

Dalai Lama, the foremost spiritual leader and a prominent political leader of Tibet, has roughly $ 150 Million net worth as of 2023. 

For more information, his spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso.

In fact, Tibetan consider Tenzin Gyatso as a God and worship as the 14th Dalai Lama.

And Lhamo Dhondup is his family name.

In short, the rest world community knows him as Dalai Lama.

He was born on July 6, 1935. Now he is the top spiritual leader and also a retired political leader of Tibet.

Tibetian people believe Dalai Lama is a living Bodhisattva, more specifically, an incarnation of Avalokitesvara.

During his last career, he leads Gelug School based on the new Tibetian  Buddhism Principle.

As a spiritual leader, the Central Government of Tibet and The Ganden Phodrang invested and protected his activities until his exile in 1959.

The Central Government of China charged him for instigating and fighting the free Tibet movement and declared his exile in 1959.

So he moved to India and formed an Independent Tibet Government, also known as Central Tibetan Administration, in the Indian Mussoorie hills on April 29, 1959.

Later in 1960, he shifted to Dharamsala.

He is now no more political head of the democratic government or movement as he was retired in 2011.

Quick Facts

NameDalai Lama
Real Name/ Full NameLhаmо Тhоnduр
Birth DateJuly 6, 1935
Age88 Years Old
Born InTaktser, China
ParentsChoekyong Tsering (Father) and Diki Tsring (Mother)
GenderMale
Race/EthnicityYellow
OccupationSpiritual and Political Leader
JobsPhilosopher, Preacher, Lecturer, Writer, Actor
NationalityChinese
ReligionTibetan Buddhism
ResidenceRefugee in Dharmasala, Himachal Pradesh, India
EducationTibetan Culture and Art, Religion, Science, Logic, Sanskrit
Major AwardNobel Peace Prize in 1989
Marital StatusUnmarried
Height1.81 Meter
Weight77 Kilogram
Sexual Orientation Straight
GirlfriendNot available
Years Active1941- Present
Source of WealthWriter, Tibetan Monk, Philanthropist, Activist
Net Worth 150 Million $
Website dalailama.com
Formation1391
First HolderGendun Drup, 1st Dalai Lama
Last Update December, 2023

Dalai Lama Net Worth and Income

Dalai Lama has generated roughly $150 Million net worth as 0f 2023.

In brief, the source of wealth of Lama is the spiritual teaching, author, and actor. 

In fact, the CIA supported Dalai Lama personally, providing  $180,000 annually between the late 1950s to 1970.

However, most of the funds carried the day-to-day affairs of the Tibetan government formed in exile. 

A historical book, ‘Fifty Years of Democratic Reform in Tibet‘ has mentioned the wealth of the Dalai Lama before 1959 or exile.

For example, he owned 27  manors, 30 pastures, and over 6,000 serfs, and a huge amount of highland barley.

Similarly,  he owned a large quantity of butter, Tibetan silver dollar, cattle, woolen fabrics.

Most importantly, Dalai Lama personally owned huge gold, silver, jewelry, and satin fabric.

Similarly, he possessed rare fur clothing, including over 100 robes inlaid with pearls and gems, each worth tens of thousands of yuan.

Moreover, Dalai Lama took away a huge amount of Gold from Tibet to Sikkim, India.

In fact, locals say huge amounts of Gold were loaded in trucks and taken in India in 1950.

To be sure, a book, ‘The Struggle for Modern Tibet: The Autobiography of Tashi Tsering,’ has been stated in brief.

In summary, all those assets have also contributed to making his huge net worth.

Of course, Dalai Lama is the richest monk on this planet because he has carried away huge native property from Tibet to India.

Similarly, he received huge donations from International organizations like the CIA to carry his function.

Writers have to go on digging his actual net worth time and again.

Net Worth of Dalai Lama in Different Currencies

Here’s the net worth of  Dalai Lama in different currencies, including the cryptocurrency BitCoin.  

CurrenciesNet Worth
Euro125,721,750
Pound Sterling£ 107,856,750
Australian DollarA$ 197,844,000
Canadian DollarC$ 184,545,750
Indian Rupee11,132,625,000
BitCoin฿ 4309.8315

Dalai Lama Houses and Car

House

Dalai Lama lived in Potala Palace in Tibet as the 14th Dalai Lama, the greatest spiritual leader of the Tibetian region.

But as soon as he was sent to exile, he has been taking shelter in India.

He has huge respect for India and believes it is a spiritual home.

Before, he was the chief of Potala Palace, Tibet, and it was considered his home.

For more information, Potala  Palace was built in 1649AD.

Now Chinese Government has developed Potala Palace as a museum, and local people have equal spiritual belief in the Palace.

Now he lives in Dharmashala Himachal Pradesh, India as a refugee.

However, his lifestyle is sophisticated, with huge supports from international communities.

In addition, people of the Himalayan belts of India, Nepal, and Bhutan worship him in the form of God.

He is also providing cars, bungalows, and a lot of property to his devotees who are his disciples as well.

Indeed he has connected with various intelligence agencies like the CIA.

So much of his activities are top-secret, and they are slowly revealed over time.

Car

On February 17, 1996, Dalai Lama officiated his Tibet activities from India and Nepal, and his donors provided Land Rover Series IIA.

It was called his Holiness’s official vehicle.

Later his people sold at $143,000.

The donors, in fact, gave this Car as only a 4×4 could travel through rocky and muddy roads in the Himalayan region of India and Nepal.

To this extent, any physical properties like houses, monasteries, cars, helicopters, and even private jets are not a big deal to possess for Dalai Lama.

So, he travels and lives in any part of the world except controlled by the Chinese government authorities.

Most democratic countries still support Dalai Lama; after all, his actual net worth is tough to calculate.

Dalai Lama Lifestyle

Despite all these physical assets and huge net worth, his life is in danger all the time.

As a result,  he travels from India to other countries with trained security forces and trusts devotees.

Indeed great people like rich men and popular spiritual leaders are always subject to a threat on this planet.

Talking about food habits, being a spiritual guide yet Dalai Lama is a non-vegetarian which is observed in Dharmashala, India.

But he does not drink alcohol. Moreover, American Journal has also published an article on his food habit.

Similarly, he goes to bed at 7:00 PM, wakes up at 3:00 AM, and has 8 hours of sound sleep.

Before being monk, his parents raised him, and they were a farmer.  In addition, he grew up with six other siblings.

Among them, four were boys, and two were girls. The older man never married in his life, and neither has a child of any kind.

Throughout the year, Dalai Lama visits various countries for preaching.

For more information, people can meet him in any part of the world except in countries with an agreement with China to ban his activities.

In addition, his preaching is free as he does not charge any amount.

But, third parties are organizing the event, so the public has to pay a minimum entrance fee.

The amount collected is spent on his travel expenses.

Charity of Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama has two types of charity, one visible and another secret.

In addition, he receives huge charity from donors, and the amount is definitely distributed in different sectors.

There is no debate on accumulating net worth and charity as they are two sides of the same coin.

It is mysterious and has not been formally shown to the public by mainstream media.

Accordingly, the large fund was distributed in Nepal.

However, it is always a topic of discourse in social media.

There are huge numbers of Tibetan refugees demonstrating for the Free Tibet movement from Kathmandu, Nepal.

Yet, such activities are legally banned in Nepal for more information.

Similarly, Dalai Lama has revealed, Templeton Prize in London, which has £1.1m cash worth, was spent in Charity in the spiritual dimension.

Likewise, he founded The Gaden Phodrang Foundation, a non-profit organization in nature.

In fact, its motive was to promote human rights, values, mutual understanding among different religions and societies.

Likewise, the foundation has also worked to strengthen peace and non-violence, and environmental protection.

For more information, the foundation is focused on the need and support of the Tibetan people.

Movies, Endorsement, and Book Publication

When Dalai Lama was in Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, he was celebrated.

Now also he is equally honored around the world.

Definitely, there are communist supporters around the world who are against his activities in exile.

In 1997, the Movie Kundun was categorized as an American epic biographical film, written by Melisa Matison and directed by Martin Scorsese.

The movie shows the life and writing of Dalai Lama and also focuses political activities of Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama’s Short Video on Happiness

He is worldwide available on YouTube and various filmographies.

In addition, media people follow him worldwide and make news coverage for broadsheets, online, and televisions.

Moreover, because of his huge net worth, he is equally popular.

In fact, Dalai Lama is in his old age, and 1 day everyone has to leave this physical world.

But now, no one has revealed who is becoming the successor of Dalai Lama then.

For more information, the people with faith in Dalai Lama and those who do not are divided now.

We can predict that the Chinese Communist Party will choose Successor in Tibet.

In contrast, the revolutionary Dalai Lama will select one among their group in India.

Dalai Lama is into the publication and has authored more than 100 books so far.

Some popular Dalai Lama books are-

  • The Book of Joy​,
  • The Art of Happiness​,
  • My Spiritual Journey,​​
  • How to Practice,
  • Ethics for the New Millennium,
  • The Wisdom of Forgiveness, and
  • The Universe in a Single Atom.
  • Career

    Dalai Lama showed interest in religion when he was 6 years old and was admitted to a school.

    In brief, he learned logic, Tibetian culture, Sankrit, medicine, and Buddhist philosophy.

    He met Heinrich, an Australian mountaineer at the age of 11, who taught him the world outside Tibet.

    Only at the age of 15 was he entitled as ‘Dalai Lama’ and took full religious power of Potala Palace.

    Dalai Lama visited Beijing for peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders in 1954.

    In 1959, he led the Free Tibet movement and was suppressed by Chinese troops, and sent to exile.

    In fact, Dalai Lama was recognized to the outer world with this movement.

    Finally, he migrated to India as a refugee from where he is campaigning the Free Tibet movement.

    Over the years, he has worked as a philosopher, writer, and political actor.

    He has also conducted hundreds of conferences, lectures, and workshops at leading universities around the world.

    He focuses on religion, science, and ecology in his presentation and talk program for more information.

    Highlights

    Breakthrough of Dalai Lama in brief:

  • Nobel Peace Prize (1989) 
  • Christmas Humphreys Award (2005)
  • Congressional Gold Medal (2007)
  • Facts of Dalai Lama

    Dalai Lama presented a five-point peace plan at the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington, D.C., in 1987.

    Indeed it was the first step of official discourse to determine the luck and future of Tibet.

    For more information, it aimed at declaring the Tibetan zone of peace and end Chinese control into Tibet.

    The five-point also discussed human rights,  free Tibet from dumping Chinese nuclear waste, and focused on the friendly relationship between Tibetan and Chinese people.

    China has understood Dalai Lama as an activist of the Chinese division.

    So, the Chinese Government has also requested locals to report to the police if any activities are seen all over China, especially in Tibet.

    For more information, the Chinese government has considered the Dalai Lama forces as evil.

    But is always worried about the image of Tibet portrayed all over the world.

    As a result, the Chinese Government is working hard to dissolve the issue in Tibetan culture.

    In another case, Tashi Wangchuk, an activist,  has been arrested for facilitating the Tibetian language in the School.

    Dalai Lama has explored science and religion over the years through writing in various books.

    He is highly interested in exploring ecology.

    In fact, he believes appropriate principles and thought can contribute to preserving the planet and the ideals of Buddha.

    His religious ideal guru is Gautam Buddha and Tibetan Buddha. His political guru is Mahatma Gandhi.

    You may be interested in reading for  Carlos Ghosn.

    FAQs

    What makes the Dalai Lama special?

    Dalai Lama is known to all the Tibetan people and most Chinese people as a spiritual guide.

    He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign and effort to Liberate Tibet and environmental issues in 1989.

    As a result, the world knows him.

    What will be the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama?

    According to Dalai Lama, his next incarnation can be a woman. He told it in 2007.

    The monk has a strong viewpoint on rebirth and adequately talks about the past birth.

    How do you say hello in Tibetan?

    We say ‘Tashi Delek” to say hello to Tibetian. It is common greetings.

    Once we say this, the Tibetian people extend their generosity and hospitality to the foreigners.

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