No footballer in the world comes even close to Faiq Bolkiah in terms of net worth or personal wealth. This famed 24-year-old footballer is the nephew of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the current monarchical head of Brunei. His estimated net worth is well above £20 billion. This puts Cristiano Ronaldo far behind Bolkiah, even after his mega transfer deal worth £450 million with the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
Bolkiah’s passion for football led him to join a local team when he was sent to England for education by his father, Prince Jefri Bolkiah. In 2009, he signed a one-year deal with the Southampton F.C. Academy, but it did him no good. After training with Reading and a trial with Arsenal, Bolkiah signed a two-year contract with Chelsea.
In the under-16 team, he played alongside some brilliant footballers like Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham. Amid stiff competition, limited minutes, and the contract set to expire in 2016, he decided to seek a new club. After a trial with Stoke City, he signed a three-year professional contract with Leicester in March 2016.
He could not secure a pro deal during his three years with the team. On September 23, 2020, Bolkiah opted to sign a free transfer to the Portuguese club Maritimo. This proved to be his biggest transfer regret, as he was placed in their lower-league B team. He felt they had taken advantage of his media image and duped him.
According to Bolkiah, there was a lot of politics involved, and the club was not fully honest. He left Maritimo barely a year after joining, but the experience made him stronger. He is currently with the Thai club Chonburi. He even scored his first goal for them in November, leading to their victory.