The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah is the Prime Minister and
ruler of Brunei, a tiny oil-rich nation in Asia and home to about
430,000 people who mostly live in poverty.
Bolkiah as an absolute monarch, is also the finance minister,
foreign affairs and trade minister, superintendent of police, defence
minister, commander of the armed forces and the chancellor of the
national university.
Bolkiah is stinkingly rich and according to a forbes 2011 report,
he is estimated to be worth over $20 billion. He became the Sultan after
his father abdicated the throne in 1967.
He holds the record as the second longest-reigning monarch in the
world, behind Elizabeth II. The Sultan makes his money from exports of
oil and natural gas. It has been revealed that he makes around $147
every second, which is why he has grown very rich and powerful.
The Sultan alongside his family members during a royal parade
Tales about the extravagant lifestyle of the Sultan and his brother
jefri abound. For instance, the Sultan lives in the Instana Nurul Iman
Palace, which is the largest royal palace in the world. The Instana
Nurul Iman Palace has about 1800 rooms and is said to be worth a
staggering $1.8 billion according to thenews.com.au.
The palace made of gold and diamonds, has a banquet hall capable of
accommodating 5,000 guests. It boasts of a massive mosque, five
swimming pools, airconditioned pony stable and many other accessories
for comfort.
The Sultan is a luxury and speed car freak. He has a collection of
Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and
Jaguars valued at a whopping $9 billion. Apart from having a fleet of
private planes, the Sultan also has a Boeing 747 that is gold plated
worth about $431 million.
He fought with and sued his brother, Prince Jefri whom he accused
of lavishing billions on 2,000 cars, 17 airplanes and expensive yachts,
including other investments.
Exotic cars belonging to the Sultan
In spite of that, the monarch has not stopped spending money on his
own. He has a two more planes – an Airbus and Boeing 767 worth a
combined $389 million.
The Sultan surely sleeps on money. At his 50th birthday in 1996,
the Sultan paid the king of pop, Michael Jackson, about $25.8 million
for three concert appearances to celebrate with him.
A gold-plated Rolls Royce belonging to the Sultan that’s used for royal weddings.
He is married to his cousin, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah
Saleha, who is his wife and Queen Consort. He had married and divorced
two other women. Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah is the Crown Prince and heir
to the throne. He is the Sultan’s oldest son.
Culled from: FamousUSA.com
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