Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III became the sultan of Brunei after his father decided to abdicate the throne on October 5, 1967. He is one of the few absolute monarchs of the world and with USD 30 billion net worth, the sultan is also one of the richest people in the world. Hassanal Bolkiah was born on July 15, 1946 in Brunei Town. In 1967, he graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. He went to the UK after completing his high school education at the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur. Hassanal Bolkiah became sultan in August 1968 and he is known for his luxurious lifestyle. Sultan’s main source of income is oil reserves and natural gas.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah lives in Istana Nurul Iman Palace, which is spread over an area of 2 million square feet and is included in the Guinness Book of World Records as world’s largest palace. The dome of the palace is coated with 22-carat gold. It is extimated that the palace is worth Rs 2550 crores. The palace has five swimming pools, 257 baths, and more than 1700 rooms. The palace also has 200 horse barns with air conditioning and 110 garages.
According to The Daily Mail, Sultan Bolkiah spent Rs 3,000 crore in a Boeing 747 for his personal use. The jet has wash basin worth USD 120 million. According to reports, the Sultan of Brunei has a fleet of 7,000 vehicles, including 300 Ferraris and 500 Rolls Royces. According to GQ report, Hassanal Bolkiah also owns a private zoo, which has 30 Bengal tigers. The Sultan spends USD 20000 on his haircut.
