A former Chelsea player is considered the 'world's richest footballer' due to his family's staggering wealth.
Chelsea's Faiq Bolkiah during a friendly match.
Chelsea's Faiq Bolkiah during a friendly match. (Image: Getty Images)
Brunei international Faiq Bolkiah finds himself without a club after being released from his last team. Yet the turning point in the 28-year-old's career will do little to dent his extraordinary personal fortune. Regarded as the 'world's richest footballer', the winger comes from royal lineage as the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei.
The monarch has held the position since 1984 and is believed to possess a personal fortune of approximately £22billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Despite his family's immense wealth, Bolkiah has sought to forge his own path through football. Born in Los Angeles, the player has had a winding footballing journey that began with Berkshire-based outfit AFC Newbury.
He subsequently progressed through Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester City over 11 years in their youth systems. During his early teenage years, he undertook trials at Arsenal and Stoke City, while attending Bradford College, which commands a staggering £58,000 annual fee.
Bolkiah departed England in 2020 after being unable to break into the professional ranks and relocated to Portugal, where he joined Maritimo. He appeared once for the club's youth sides for a year before departing for Thailand to sign with Chonburi FC.
He featured 32 times for the club, netting twice, before departing after two seasons to join Ratchaburi. Bolkiah spent three years with the side, though managed only two goals across 23 appearances before his spell with the Thai outfit concluded this year.
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His footballing career has consistently attracted attention, given the extraordinary wealth his family has accumulated over generations. Amongst their most extravagant possessions is their motor vehicle collection, reportedly worth approximately £5bn.
An astonishing 7,000 cars are believed to be stored in their garage, while a £460million gold-plated Boeing 747 serves as the centrepiece of their aircraft collection. The Bolkiah family's multi-billion-pound fortune derives primarily from Brunei's petroleum resources.
Chelsea's U21 Faiq Bolkiah during a friendly match Under 21 match between Chelsea and Burnley at the Cobham Training Ground
Chelsea's U21 Faiq Bolkiah during an Under 21 match. (Image: Getty)
The Asian state has been recognised as one of the globe's principal exporters of crude oil and natural gas since 1929.
A substantial portion of the family's wealth has been channelled into an investment portfolio, with hotels and numerous properties in London, Paris and New York comprising their real estate holdings.
The affluence that Bolkiah has experienced throughout his existence hasn't prevented him from committing himself to pursuing a football career, according to a former colleague. Ruben Sammut - former Chelsea academy product and current scout for the Blues - progressed through the youth system alongside the Brunei star and spoke candidly about his personality.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: "You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne. You would not have thought of him as royalty. He was a humble guy, trying every day like every academy player. We used to joke he didn't need to play football but he wanted to play because he loved football.
"It wasn't a regular thing we mentioned. It was that typical banter, saying he is royalty, saying, 'What's he doing playing with us?' But we all knew deep down how much he wanted to play, so it was more good-willed passing comments."