Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah Net Worth in 2024

Hassanal Bolkiah has been the Sultan of Brunei since 1967 and has served as Prime Minister since the country achieved independence from the UK in 1984.

He ranks as one of the world's rare kings of authority. He was the 29th sultan to take the throne of Brunei after his father resigned in 1967. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III is the eldest son of Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III.

 According to some rankings, the sultan is one of the richest people on the earth. He is the head of state who has held office the longest in history and the monarch with the longest reign. Bolkiah celebrated his Golden Jubilee on October 5, 2017, when his reign turned fifty.

Hassanal Bolkiah Net Worth 2024

Hassanal Bolkiah net worth is estimated at $30 billion. Following his ascent to the throne in August 1968, the Sultan maintained diplomatic connections and completed many developmental milestones, including membership in the UN and ASEAN.

Sultan's primary sources of wealth are natural gas and oil reserves. However, the monarch's extravagant lifestyle and ultra-luxurious assets make him the most popular.

Hassanal Bolkiah Biography and Personal Life

On July 29, 1965, at Istana Darul Hana, the sultan married Pengiran Anak Saleha, his first cousin and first wife, who would go on to become the Raja Isteri (Queen). Mariam Abdul Aziz, his ex-second wife, was a former flight attendant with Royal Brunei Airlines, the country's flag airline. In 2003, he divorced her and took away her royal titles.

Her position was taken over in August 2005 by Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a 33-year-old former broadcaster on Malaysian TV3. Like Mariam Abdul Aziz, they divorced in 2010, and the sultan took away all of her honours, titles, and monthly payments. Afifa Abdullah, his adopted daughter with Mariam, was also known to exist.

The sultan's heir and the current Pengiran Muda Mahkota (Crown Prince) is Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Hassanal Bolkiah son and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha. Hassanal Bolkiah and his three wives have five boys and seven daughters. He has 18 grandchildren as of 2020.

Hassanal Bolkiah siblings are Jefri Bolkiah, Sufri Bolkiah, Mohamed Bolkiah and 9 more.

Early Life

In Brunei Town's Istana Darussalam, the Sultan of Brunei was born on July 15, 1946. After attending Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur for his high school education, he graduated in 1967 from the United Kingdom's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

On July 14, 1961, at fifteen, he was crowned The Pengiran Muda Mahkota (Crown Prince). Particularly, the Brunei uprising started in 1962, the same year the 2nd Gurkha Rifles were sent there. Lieutenant Colonel Digby Willoughby and a small group of Gurkha soldiers saved his father from their palace, and his father will always appreciate Willoughby's efforts on that fateful day.

In 1963, Hassanal Bolkiah returned to Brunei to finish his studies at the English-language Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College due to the tense relations between Brunei and Malaysia. Later, on January 4, 1966, he enrolled at the United Kingdom's Sandhurst Royal Military Academy as a cadet officer.

Hassanal Bolkiah Reign

Silver Jubilee

1992, the Silver Jubilee marked 25 years since Hassanal Bolkiah took the throne. Brunei built an exhibition center, 200 Mercedes-Benz cars for guests, 21 guest houses for visiting royalty, and a 6,000-seat mosque with a gold dome as part of its $200 million celebration project.

In 1992, the Churchill Memorial Building has renamed the Royal Brunei Regalia Building in honor of the historic occasion. The Silver Jubilee Medal, created to honour the moment, was awarded in three classes: gold, silver, and bronze.

Golden Jubilee

Under cover of low-lying clouds, 80,000 people gathered outside the Istana Nurul Iman in the capital's center before the Golden Jubilee parade. The elegant Brunei Armed Forces and Royal Brunei Police Forces walked in formation behind the Grand Chamberlain, who headed the majestic parade.

 Before the Bandar Seri Begawan Fire Station, the Sultan mounted his royal chariot. Thousands of well-wishers waved the national flag and shouted Long live the king as he entered the streets.

Hassanal Bolkiah Real Estate

Hassanal Bolkiah house, Istana Nurul Iman Palace, was constructed in 1984 to honour the nation's independence. At two million square feet, it is the largest palace in the world. 22-carat gold is used to decorate the dome of this mansion.

Hassanal Bolkiah's Istana Nurul Iman Palace is estimated to be worth above Rs 2550 crores. The palace has around 1700 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and five swimming pools. In addition to 110 garages, there are 200 air-conditioned horse barns.

Hassanal Bolkiah Cars collection: The Sultan of Brunei created the world's largest collection of rare cars, which included a gold-plated Rolls-Royce. 29th Sultan of Brunei has a fleet of about 7,000 cars, estimated at more than $5 billion. Among the fleet of vehicles owned by Hassanal Bolkiah are 600 Rolls Royce and 300 Ferraris. The Sultan of Brunei bought a custom-built Rolls Royce with an open roof to fit the umbrella placed over the car.

The Sultan also spent about $400 million on a Boeing 747 (Private Jet) for personal use. He also included features that cost an extra $120 million, such as a gold washbasin.

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Academic and Military Honours

Academic

• Moscow State University for International Relations (MGIMO) awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2005.
• Oxford University grants an honorary doctorate in law.
• An Honorary Doctor of Letters from Aberdeen University.
• Chulalongkorn University of Thailand awarded him an honorary doctorate.
• From Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia, an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities and Culture.
• Recognized by the National University of Singapore with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Military

• Honorary commission as an Air Chief Marsha in the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force.
• Honorary General in the British Army and an Honorary Admiral in the Royal Navy.
• An honorary member of the Indonesian Special Operations Unit Satgas Atbara.
• Pakistan's Special Service Group's Honorary Colonel Commandant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many Rolls-Royces does Brunei's Sultan own?

Famous vehicles in the Sultan's collection are about 600 Rolls-Royces, 450 Ferraris, and 380 Bentleys.

Q. Who will be the next king of Brunei?

The next Sultan of Brunei will be Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Hassanal Bolkiah, the eldest son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife, Queen Saleha.

Q. In London, where is the residence of the Sultan of Brunei?

Kensington Palace Gardens is home to more than just the English monarchy; the Sultan of Brunei has lived in this luxurious residence for more than three decades.