The Rich & Powerful Sultan Of Brunei Worth Over $20 Billion (Photos)

Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah

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.