The ‘world’s richest footballer’ has been launched by Thai League 1 facet Ratchaburi F.C. after making simply 18 appearances in over three years on the membership.
Faiq Bolkiah, 28, is the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the sultan of Brunei and the world’s longest-reigning present monarch. Studies counsel the footballer is price £16billion.
Having celebrated his Golden Jubilee in October 2017, the sultan is nearing 59 years on the throne, however his globe-trotting nephew has undertaken an uncommon footballing pathway.
Born in the USA, Bolkiah was educated at Bradfield Faculty in Berkshire and frolicked within the youth setups of Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester Metropolis, however didn’t realise any success in England and made no senior appearances.
He ultimately made his method to Primeira Liga facet CS Marítimo in 2020 however was let go after lower than a 12 months and simply eight appearances between the youth groups and the B-team.
Bolkiah was the primary Bruneian participant signed into the Thai division, Thai League 1, when he was picked up by Chonburi F.C. in 2021.
Faiq Boliah – the world’s richest footballer – is with no membership after being launched
Bolkiah is the nephew the sultan of Brunei and has an estimated price of £16billion
He spent round four-and-a-half years within the league, transferring to Ratchaburi F.C. in June 2023, earlier than being let go by the membership this July.
The 28-year-old made simply fifty appearances within the Thai first league in nearly 5 years.
Shedding your job at 28 can be powerful for the common employee, however Faiq Bolkiah can fortunately depend on the assist cushion supplied by his uncle that’s reported to be within the vary of $30-50 billion.
This determine has led to Bolkiah being dubbed the “richest footballer on this planet” regardless of not being a direct inheritor to his uncle’s fortune.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi boast fortunes of $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion respectively, in line with Forbes.
Hassanal Bolkiah’s fortune has largely been propped up by Brunei’s oil and pure gasoline reserves and was briefly declared by Forbes to be the richest man on this planet in 1997, overtaking, after which being overtaken by, Invoice Gates.
The royal household in Brunei controls nearly all points of the financial system, which allowed the sultan and his brother, Faiq Bolkiah’s father, Jefri, to construct a automotive assortment reportedly consisting of over seven thousand automobiles at its peak.
The $5billion automotive assortment is saved in a compound surrounded by a razor-wire-topped wall and patrolled by armed Gurkhas and German Shepherds.
