On the top of my head, I am aware of two politicians who voluntarily waived the salary to which they were entitled in their office because they were independently wealthy:
John F. Kennedy (as US President)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (as California Governor)
Who else (if any)?
John Key - Prime Minister of New Zealand. I’m sure there are others.
The thing is though, admirable as the gesture seems, people attack such politicians as being disconnected and unable to empathise with the average Joe. Can’t win.
But at least these people can’t be bought.
BTW, Michael Bloomberg (I’m assuming, haven’t done the research).
Australian politician Ted Mack was elected as an independent to the positions of mayor of North Sydney, then state member for the area and finally federal member.
As mayor he sold the official car to buy a bus, in the other two positions he resigned days before his length of service would earn him a lifetime pension, according to Wikipedia, as a statement against the excesses of public political office.
I don’t recall anyone from the major parties ever doing anything similar.
Mitt Romney took no salary when he was governor of Massachusetts (nor when he headed the 2002 Olympics, which may or may not meet the OP’s criteria as a 'politician’s job):
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57503844/romney-on-charity-church-and-taking-a-salary/
Herbert Hoover was independently wealthy and donated his presidential paychecks to charity.
Some people served in political positions during wartime, according to this, for $1/year.
Anyone know where CA gov Jerry Brown is on this? And where he was on this during his earlier stint?
IIRC, during his first stint, he rejected some of the perks – living in an apartment instead of the governors mansion, and I think he didn’t use the governors limousine service either.
Current Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, while previously serving as a US Senator, donated his salary to a program to help seniors get low-cost prescriptions (by finding bus trips to Canada, mainly). I believe he also did not accept his salary when he served as Minnesota State Auditor.
I remember reading something about Lincoln his own pay docked to make up for his crazy wife’s excessive spending.
Clover Moore was until recently both the Lord Mayor of Sydney and the State Member of Parliament for Sydney. She donated her salary for the former to charity, partially due to not wanting to be seen as double-dipping, but also because an MP is not allowed to receive “any compensation from the Crown”, which under some interpretations the Mayor’s salary counted as.