Markus Räikkönen (born September 16, 1985; Age: 38 years old) is the ex-spouse of Sanna Marin, a Finnish politician who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Finland since 2019.
Markus and Sanna tied the knot in 2020, and they have a daughter Emma Amalia Marin (born 2018). Before becoming the better half of the Finnish Prime Minister, Markus Räikkönen played for the Tamepreen Pallo-Veikot (TPV), a Finnish football club based in Tampere. Following their union, Markus’ popularity increased, and he became a subject of interest to the public.
The outgoing Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has confirmed her and her husband Markus Räikkönen have jointly filed for divorce less than three years into their marriage.
Markus Räikkönen’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Markus Räikkönen
- Nickname: Mark
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: September 16, 1985
- Markus Räikkönen’s Age: 38 years old
- Ethnicity: Finnish
- Nationality: Finnish
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Markus Räikkönen’s Ex-Wife: Sanna Marin
- Markus Räikkönen’s Children: Emma Amalia Marin (born 2018)
- Markus Räikkönen’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 7 inches
- Markus Räikkönen’s Height in Centimetres: 176cm
- Markus Räikkönen’s Weight: 75 kg (approx.)
- Body measurements in inches: Chest – 40, Waist – 34, Bicep -16
- Markus Räikkönen’s Net worth: $1 million – $3 milion
- Famous for: Being Sanna Marin’s Husband
- Markus Räikkönen’s Instagram: @markus.raikkonen
- Twitter: @MarkusRaikkonen
Markus Räikkönen was Born in Helsinki, Finland
Markus was born on September 16, 1985, and is currently 38 years old. He was born and raised in Helsinki, Finland’s southern capital. Born with the Virgo zodiac sign, Markus is of Finnish nationality and ethnicity. Nothing much is known about his background, including the kind of childhood he had and details of his parents and siblings, if any.
Markus is well educated; he completed his basic and high education in Finland, but the names of the schools he attended and when he graduated have not been shared in the public space. However, there has been wide speculation that Markus and his wife, Sanna Marin, met during their college days.
According to Markus, he developed an interest in playing football from an early age. As a result, he later followed his passion by becoming a professional soccer player as an adult. He competed for several Finnish clubs throughout his career.
He is a Retired Football Player
Markus Räikkönen pursued a career as a football player. He completed his amateur career at the Finnish U19 club side, Tampereen Ilves. However, Sanna’s ex-husband turned pro in 2004 when he joined Tampereen Ilves’ senior team and competed in the Ykkönen league, which is the second-highest football league in Finland.
Markus played the center-forward/attackers position for the club. Two years later, in 2006, he joined Tamepreen Pallo-Veikot (TPV), another club in the Ykkönen league. Markus’ contract details during his career with the team have not been disclosed.
He played three seasons with the club before leaving at the end of the 2008/2009 season. Markus decided to hang his boot at the end of the 2008/09 season. After his retirement, Markus Räikkönen decided to venture into business. He now works in communications and is an Investor at Global VC firm Headline.com.
Markus Räikkönen Met Sanna Marin Many Years Ago
There are reports that Markus Räikkönen met his future wife many years before tying the knot. Although the precise date, time, and how they met cannot be ascertained, they were reported to have been together for 16 years before getting married. This means that the couple met sometime in 2004.
According to different online sources, the couple first met during their high school days and kept their relationship under wraps. However, they maintained a good relationship for a long time, and today, they have become a couple and are building a lovely family together.
There are not many details regarding their early relationship, but it is known that their love has blossomed ever since. Markus saw Sanna as his strong support system during his active football career, as she was always present to cheer him in every game.
They Welcomed their Daughter, Emma Amalia Marin, in 2018
Markus Räikkönen and Sanna Marin welcomed their first child, a daughter named Emma Amalia Marin, on January 28, 2018, a year before Sanna became the 46th Prime Minister of Finland. After her birth, her mom took to Instagram to share an adorable photo of their newborn.
Emma is currently 6 years old and is receiving so much love from her doting parents. Markus has been a hands-on dad and always spends time with their daughter when duty calls for his wife.
Emma’s birth brought a sense of fulfillment between the couple, and two years after, they decided to exchange marriage vows after dating for a long while.
Markus Räikkönen Became Sanna Marin’s Husband in 2020
After 16 years of a successful relationship, Markus and Sanna decided to seal their love with a marital bond. They walked down the aisle on August 1, 2020, and a private wedding was held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Kesäranta.
Their wedding was attended by close pals and family members, including their daughter, Emma. After the ceremony, the Finnish Prime Minister shared their wedding pictures on social media, informing her fans that she and her long-term partner had exchanged marriage vows.
For the wedding, Sanna wore a satin gown made by Anniruth, a popular Finnish fashion company, while Markus shared pictures of their wedding, with him dressed in a black tux. The event was a colorful one and was well-captured by Mint Saarn, a Finnish photographer based in Helsinki.
After the wedding, the Finnish government shared a congratulatory message on Twitter for the newlywed couple. Most of their friends and people from different parts of the world also congratulated the young couple.
Finnish Government congratulates the newlyweds ???? pic.twitter.com/LcNlFKKRzH
— Finnish Government (@FinGovernment) August 2, 2020
Although the wedding was held in Kesaranta, the Prime Minister’s official residence, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, their permanent residence is in the Kaleva district of Tampere.
His Wife, Sanna Marin, Has Been the Prime Minister of Finland Since 2019
In December 2019, the then-34-year-old Sanna Marin emerged as the world’s youngest sitting head of government when she became the Prime Minister of Finland. She was nominated by the Social Democratic Party to succeed Antti Rinne as the Prime Minister of Finland. Her cabinet comprises mostly women, as there are 12 women out of 19 during the cabinet’s formation.
Born on November 16, 1985, the 38-year-old Sanna Marin became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 2015. She is the third female head of government in Finland after Mari Kiviniemi and Anneli Jäätteenmäki. Since the inception of her tenure as the Prime Minister of Finland, many have praised her pattern of leadership.
For instance, Finnish MP Tytti Tuppurainen once described Marin as eminently good, as she succeeded Antti Rinne, and many others. Recently, reports emerged that Fathers in Finland would receive the same full amount of fully paid parental leave as mothers to allow them to spend time with their family. This was well received by many people within and outside the country.
Despite being the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin also finds time to spend with her husband and family. There has never been any news about controversy or scandal since the inception of their union. When she is not working, Marin spends quality time with Markus and their daughter, Emma.
Key Facts
- Divorce Announcement: Outgoing Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her husband Markus Räikkönen have jointly filed for divorce after less than three years of marriage. The news was revealed through an Instagram post by Marin, which included a selfie of the pair.
- Relationship and Marriage: Marin and Räikkönen have been together since their teenage years. They married in August 2020, which was less than a year after Marin assumed the role of prime minister. The couple has a five-year-old daughter.
- Post-Divorce Relationship: Despite the divorce, Marin and Räikkönen intend to remain best friends and continue spending time together as they co-parent their daughter. This sentiment was expressed in the same Instagram post announcing the divorce.
- Markus Räikkönen’s Background: Räikkönen is a former Finnish soccer player. His Instagram bio suggests he is currently an investor and plays a role in supporting the Nordic tech ecosystem.
- Political Career and Legacy of Sanna Marin: Marin became the world’s youngest prime minister at the age of 34 in 2019. Her tenure as a leader is marked by leading the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and her vocal support for Ukraine during Russia’s invasion. She also made the historic decision of abandoning Finland’s non-alignment policy and applied for NATO membership in 2022 due to Finland’s proximity to Russia.
- Election Result: Marin is currently serving as Finland’s caretaker prime minister after her center-left Social Democrats party fell to third place in last month’s general election, behind the center-right National Coalition party and the far-right The Finns party. Negotiations to form a new government, led by National Coalition party leader Petteri Orpo, began last week.
- Public Controversies: Marin has faced public scrutiny, notably when a video of her dancing and drinking surfaced online, causing her to defend her private life. She also faced criticism for not adhering to her own coronavirus guidelines in December 2021 when she was photographed in a Helsinki nightclub after her foreign minister tested positive for coronavirus.
- Response to Controversies: Following the “partygate” scandal, Marin took a drug test to prove she was clean. She also defended her right to socialize with friends despite her governmental role. However, she later apologized when a photo of two of her female friends kissing topless in the bathroom of her official residence was leaked shortly after her drug test results.
