Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, born on 15 July 1946, in Brunei Town (now Bandar Seri Begawan), is the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Peruan of his country Brunei, and one of the richest people in the world. Sultan Hassanal has been the head of state since 1967.
So just how rich is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah? Authoritative sources estimate that the Sultan’s net worth is over $20 billion, some from inheritance, but most accumulated from on-going revenue from the oil and gas industry in his country. Forbes magazine suggests that separating Sultan Hassanal’s personal wealth from that of the state in Brunei is difficult, as the Sultan’s wealth has apparently remained stable for the last five years, but that he and his country continue earning huge sums of money, and he personally is one of the most influential figures in the world of business.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Net Worth $20 Billion
At an early age the Sultan attended the Victoria Institution – a school for boys located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He then graduated from the Royal Militarity Academy, Sandhurst in the UK in 1966, and became the head of state the following year when his father abdicated, and that’s partly why his net worth today is so large. Sultan Hassanal’s estimated net worth is also huge because of many assets he owns: among many properties around the world is a home located in California, valued at almost $50 million; an estate in Las Vegas which he bought for $37.5 milion; and St. John’s Lodge property valued for almost $2 million. The Sultan has also had cattle interests in the Northern Territory of Australia since the 1980s, amounting to several thousands of hectares, actually larger than his own country. So there is no doubt about the great Sultan Hassanal’s net worth.
Although effectively an absolute monarch and ruler of a Muslim state, Sultan Hassanal’s general benevolence has overseen the social development of his country, particularly regarding education, health and welfare support, to the point where life expectancy in Brunei is the fourth highest in Asia (after Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan). No person in Brunei pays income tax.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is also known as the person who owns the biggest private collection of automobiles. Bolkiah’s net worth let him purchase 450 models of Ferrari, over 600 models of Rolls Royce, also more than 530 Mercedes, several Porsche and also Lambhorginis, Jaguars, BMWs, Bentleys and even McLaren’s F1. Furthermore, he is also an owner of a Boeing 747, In total Bolkiah is the owner of more than 7000 different vehicles and the overall sum of this collection is about $790 million, and this makes Bolkiah one of the richest people on the planet with an amazing net worth.
One more thing needs to be mentioned – Hassanal Bolkiah resides in the biggest palace in the world – Istana Nurul Iman. This enormous palace is equipped with 257 bathrooms, 1788 rooms and in total occupies an area which is bigger than 2,000,000 square feet. There he lives with his family.
Sultan Hassanal has had three wives and eight children. His first wife was Hajah Mariam, who he divorced in 2003. Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim(2005-10) was his second wife. The Sultan is now married to Pengiran Anak Saleha.
Besides his well-known portrait as a rich businessman, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is also known to be interested in several sports, such as badminton, golf and polo. Furthermore, he is not only a big fan of cars, but also likes piloting helicopters, driving race cars, and enjoys travelling. In his free time, the Sultan likes to enjoy a good cigar, such as Gurkha Centurian.
Leave a Comment