“The Richest Footballer in the World: Faiq Bolkiah, Nephew of Brunei Sultan”

If you had to guess the world’s richest footballer, surely a few would come to mind: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or maybe Neymar (da Silva Santos Júnior). They are among the world’s best and most famous football players. Their skills and celebrity not only bring them a lot of money in football, but also advertising deals. Some brands rely on these familiar faces for their marketing, which also benefits the accounts of the pros. But now it’s clear: none of them is the richest footballer in the world. Faiq Bolkiah bears this title, as the magazine “GQreported.

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Faiq Bolkiah? This name might be familiar to some football fans, but it probably means less to many people. Because why is a Bruneian national player the richest footballer in the world? However, if you take a look at his family history, the reason quickly becomes clear. Faiq Bolkiah, 25, is the nephew of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The Sultan’s private fortune is estimated at the equivalent of 18.54 billion euros. Due to his family’s wealth, Faiq Bolkiah is therefore considered to be by far the richest player in the world.

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Bolkiah often changes clubs

Faiq Bolkiah was born in Los Angeles and holds both US and Bruneian citizenship. He currently plays for the Thai first division club Chonburi FC, but will left in June – a new club is not yet in prospect. Bolkiah played 32 top-flight games in Chonburi, scoring just two goals. He previously played for the Portuguese club CS Marítimo. By then he had spent most of his football career at British clubs.

Starting out at AFC Newbury in his youth, he later moved to Southampton and then spent time at Arsenal and Chelsea FC before joining Leicester City. However, Bolkiah did not play a single professional game during his time in the British clubs. He still plays for the Brunei national team in international competitions and has scored one goal from penalties in six international matches.

His father leads an excessive life

While Faiq Bolkiah works on his soccer career, his father, Jefri Bolkiah, is said to lead a very excessive life. In his 15 years as head of the Brunei Investment Agency, he is said to have squandered a total of over eleven billion euros. According to British media, the Sultan’s brother is said to have a penchant for cars and expensive watches. His garage is said to consist of Bentley’s, Ferraris and Rolls-Royces. In total, Jefri Bolkiah would have over 2300 cars. On the occasion of his 50th birthday in 2004 he even asked Michael Jackson himself for a private concert. This cost him 10.5 million euros.

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Even though Faiq Bolkiah has taken care of himself and doesn’t have to worry about a steady source of income, he is determined to continue pursuing his football career. He’s always loved playing football, he said in a rare interview. He would get encouragement from his family, he said. “My parents have always supported me to achieve my dream of becoming a footballer. They trained me hard both mentally and physically during my childhood, so I have to say that they are my role models.”

jk / vn