Faiq Bolkiah was once on the books at Chelsea and Leicester City, but he’s known as the world’s wealthiest footballer due to being the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei
The player dubbed as ‘the world’s richest footballer’ looks set to join a new club. Faiq Bolkiah, who was once in the Chelsea academy, is poised to join India’s M-League with Brunei side, DPMM FC, during the January transfer window.
While not a household name, Faiq’s financial standing in the game actually outweighs those considered royalty inside the professional game. Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Lionel Messi’s bank balances all pale in comparison to Faiq’s, with the Ratchaburi FC player being the heir to a £15 billion fortune.
As the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah and nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, Faiq, 27, never had to make it as a footballer to earn a living. However, Bolkiah showed a steely determination to reach the highest level from a young age.
Born in California, the winger came to the UK to make it as a footballer having stints with the Blues and Southampton. He also attended the £58,000-per-year Bradfield College.
Later, he signed for Leicester City, and despite representing the Foxes for four years, he never made a senior appearance.
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After leaving the UK, Faiq played for Marítimo in Portugal and then headed to Thailand were he turned out for Chonburi FC before making a move to Ratchaburi. He has also picked up six caps for Brunei.
Ratchaburi are now set to release Faiq, and DPMM, who returned to the M-League this year, have expressed interest in signing him.
Despite his riches, Faiq appears to have always shown a motivation that is perhaps somewhat scarce in those born into extreme wealth. Bolkiah was at Chelsea’s youth academy at the same time as the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham and Ruben Sammut, with the latter revealing just how modest he was in his ambition to play football.
Previously speaking to The Athletic, Sammut 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.”
After spending the best part of 2024 on the treatment table after colliding with a Police Tero defender Faiq took to Instagram, his message was one of resolve – again demonstrating a unique willpower.
“Thank you for all your kind messages,” he said upon the injury. “I am devastated with the news I received a few days ago. But I will stay positive and work hard to come back stronger inshallah.”
His determination is quite the attribute considering his uncle, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 79, is reported to be worth around £37bn. Faiq will obtain a fortune that will make him approximately 40 times richer than David and Victoria Beckham, who have a combined net worth of £500m.
Faiq’s fortune in waiting is also 30 times over the £600m net worth of Al-Nassr star Ronaldo. The Brunei Royal family’s extensive assets include oil and gas reserves as well as luxury properties.
The Sultan was first crowned the 29th Sultan of Brunei in 1968 and is now known as the longest-reigning monarch in the world, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.
He primarily lives in the Istana Nurul Iman, in Brunei, which is the planet’s largest palace, featuring an astonishing 1,788 rooms. Under his rule, Brunei earned its status as one of the world’s wealthiest countries.
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