Neither Messi nor Ronaldo, the richest footballer in the world is a 19-year-old...

Matt Morley 6 years ago 52.4k
Bolkiah is unlikely to be a footballer that is motivated by money... Instagram

Faiq Jefri Bolkiah plays for Leicester City's reserve team, but curiously, he is also the richest footballer in the world. The youngster is the nephew of Hassanal Boliah, the Sultan of Brunei, a tiny state of just 430,000 inhabitants that possesses huge reserves of oil and gas.

According to 'Forbes', Faiq is the heir to a fortune of some $20billion. He joined Leicester from Chelsea in March 2016 and currently turns out for the club's reserve side, though he is no doubt desperate for a chance to shine with the first team.

The Bruneian was born in Los Angeles, but quickly made the move to English football. He started his career with Newbury, before joining Southampton's academy in 2009. Four years later, Arsenal came calling, offering the player his first professional contract.

Bolkiah's aim is to forge a career for himself in the Premier League, though he is already a key player for the Bunei national side, having scored nine goals for his country and been awarded the captain's armband.

However, the real interesting things about Faiq come away from football, with the youngster reportedly spending $47.5m per month on cars, watches and boy toys, according to English publication 'The Mirror. As if that weren't enough, he also owns tigers and leopards as pets, something which can be seen on his various social media accounts.

Faiq's eccentricities may not be all down to him though, with his father, the brother of the Sultan and head of Brunei's investments, having once paid Michael Jackson €17m for a private show to celebrate his 50th birthday.

No one knows how Faiq's career in football will turn out, but it's fair to say he'll never be short of a few bob.

Mentioned in the news story

Premier League
Leicester
L. Messi
C. Ronaldo
Faiq Bolkiah