Brunei international Faiq Bolkiah is a free agent after being released by his latest club. The 28-year-old winger's crossroads in his career won't impact his staggering personal wealth, as he is considered the 'world's richest footballer'.
Bolkiah hails from royalty as the nephew of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. The monarch has served in the position since 1984 and is thought to have a personal fortune of around £22billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Football Journey from AFC Newbury to Thailand
Despite his family's financial power, Bolkiah has attempted to pave his own path in life through football. Born in Los Angeles, the athlete has had a nomadic footballing journey that began with Berkshire-based club AFC Newbury.
He then moved on to Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester City across 11 years in the youth setup. In his early teenage years, he enjoyed trials at Arsenal and Stoke City while attending Bradford College, which costs £58,000 a year.
Career Moves and Release from Ratchaburi
Bolkiah left England in 2020 after failing to make the professional grade and moved to Portugal, where he signed with Maritimo. He featured only for the club's youth teams for a year before leaving for Thailand to join Chonburi FC.
He made 32 appearances for Chonburi, scoring twice, and left after two years to sign for Ratchaburi. Bolkiah had a three-year tenure for the side, scoring just two goals in 23 appearances before his time with the Thai club came to an end this year.
Family Wealth and Royal Assets
His journey in football has routinely been highlighted given the powerful wealth his family has long possessed. Among the most luxurious of their assets is their car collection, believed to be valued at an estimated £5bn.
A remarkable 7,000 vehicles are said to be housed within their garage, while a £460million gold-plated Boeing 747 stands tall as the crown jewel of their aviation fleet. The multi-billion-pound fortune of the Bolkiah family stems mainly from Brunei's oil reserves, with the Asian nation ranking as one of the world's leading suppliers of crude oil and natural gas since 1929.
A significant aspect of the family's riches has been invested into an investment portfolio, with hotels and various estates in London, Paris, and New York forming their property empire.
Former Teammate's Tribute to Bolkiah's Character
The prosperity Bolkiah has enjoyed throughout his life hasn't stopped him from dedicating his life to making it in football, according to a former teammate. Ruben Sammut, ex-Chelsea academy graduate and current scout for the Blues, came up through the ranks with the Brunei star and opened up about his character.
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."
He added: "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."
