Sadat’s personal choice: Vice President of Egypt

Then-President Anwar Sadat appointed Mubarak to serve as his vice president in 1975, where he took on a crucial, powerful role in the Egyptian government. He backed plans for peace with Israel which left him and Sadat deeply unpopular.

Mubarak was present at the assassination of President Sadat, getting injured in the process. He succeeded Sadat as president of Egypt, which began his term of nearly thirty years.