Faiq Bolkiah salary, net worth, religion, father, girlfriend, biography, lifestyle

If you search for the wealthiest football players in the world, the results will be dominated by an inconspicuous but omnipresent name: Faiq Bolkiah. Why not Messi or Ronaldo, two of football's best players? This page explains Faiq Bolkiah's net worth, salary, religion, his biography, and all you need to know about the richest player in football.

Biography: Who is Faiq Bolkiah?

Faiq Jefri Bolkiah is the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the brother of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei. Forbes estimates that the uncle's wealth is between $17.6 and $20 billion, and in 1997 he was the richest man in the world. The Bolkiah family is said to own a fleet of expensive automobiles, with Rolls-Royce alone, one of the most expensive car brands, accounting for almost 600 vehicles.

Faiq Bolkiah was born in Los Angeles on May 9, 1998, and has dual citizenship in Brunei and the United States. He attended Thorngrove Preparatory School in Highler, near Newbury, England, alongside his cousin Ukasyah, the son of former NBA player Dennis Wallace.

His upbringing in England was intended to help him assimilate European culture, but he fell in love with football instead. Faiq Bolkiah's upbringing in Brunei would have been very different due to his father's extravagant lifestyle.

Once, Jefri paid Michael Jackson $17 million to perform at his 50th birthday party. He is said to spend about £1 million every month partying with women.

Faiq Bolkiah playing career

Before discussing Faiq Bolkiah's net worth, it is important to highlight his soccer career, which propelled him to prominence.

Newbury

Faiq Bolkiah's football career began in England at the Newberry youth training camp, where he made a favourable impression on Coach Paul Morgan of Newbury's youth side, who said in an interview, "When they filled out the documents to be admitted to the academy, Faik's representatives had to indicate their place of residence.

"They entered a residence built on the former site of the Hollington House Hotel. His family just purchased the hotel and transformed it into a residence. It was extremely apparent. It was evident from the beginning that they were linked to the royal family of Brunei. 

"However, these men were well-prepared and courteous. They were not at all haughty. Faiq seemed to be an average youngster."

Southampton and Arsenal

In 2009, he transferred to Southampton, and four years later, he tried out with Arsenal before returning.

In a team visit to Singapore, his new teammates only got to know that he was a member of the royal family from the reactions of the locals, which made it evident to everybody that he was not the average earthling.

Former Arsenal youth player Rugare Musendo remembers Faiq's qualities: 

"He was an excellent right-footed right-shot footballer. He was the team's quickest and most clever member. His playing technique was reminiscent of Theo Walcott's.

"The most incredible thing is that we had no idea he was a prince or whatever. He was a modest individual. Through a visit to Singapore, we learnt about his fortune."

Chelsea

2014 was the year when Faiq Bolkiah impressed Chelsea with his performance in the Singapore Youth Trials, earning him a chance to play alongside stars like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham under the terms of a two-year deal.

Here Former Chelsea youth player Ruben Sammut was no short of praise for Faiq Bolkiah 

"He was a shy guy who exercised daily. We made fun of the fact that he did not need to do anything since he was already wealthy. 

"We all knew, though, how much he wanted to play football, so we seldom indulged in such jokes."

Leicester

Faiq Bolkiah departed Stamford Bridge in 2015 and signed his first professional deal with Leicester City. The Srivaddhanaprabha family, the Thai owners of Leicester football club, who were well-acquainted with the Bolkiah royal family, were the driving force behind his relocation to the Foxes.

At the King Power, he spent three years as a reserve, appearing five times in the UEFA Youth League and witnessing the club's 2016 championship victory.

However, he did not get any special treatment on-field, since Faiq Bolkiah was forced to leave for Maritimo on a free transfer in 2020 without making a senior appearance.

Maritimo

In Portugal, he was greeted with open arms, and Claudio Wink, the fullback for Maritimo, spoke highly of him.

"He came to Portugal seeking opportunity, and I believe he is a very talented player. This individual trains well and strives to improve," said the Brazilian.

"As he is still young, I hope he will have a prosperous future. He is a genuinely modest and diligent individual. We are very close and spend considerable time together. 

"I speak a little bit of English, and his Portuguese is not yet very excellent, but we can communicate. Faiq has everything necessary for a successful career," ended the gaffer. 

Faiq Bolkiah resided in Madeira while playing for Maritimo, making only one appearance for the B team before mutually terminating his contract in December 2021.

Brunei national team

Faiq has donned the captain's armband for the Brunei national team despite his youth and has played six times for Tebuan so far. In 2016, he scored a goal in a 3–2 triumph over Laos.

On the field of play, the family's riches is useless to Bolkiah, who understands that money cannot purchase his goal.

In an interview, he said, "I've played football for as long as I can remember, and I've always liked being on the pitch with the ball at my feet."

Faiq Bolkiah's current club

Faiq Bolkiah played as a left winger for Chonburi FC in the Thai League from December 2021 until June 2023, where he donned the number 11. There, in his home continent, he is playing the best football of his professional career, assisting on a handful of goals in over a dozen matches.

Faiq Bolkiah accepted to play for Chonburi in order to acquire experience as a result of the strong ties between the Thai and Brunei royal families.

Chonburi had sought the player for two years.

As of August 2024, Faiq Bolkiah is signed to Ratchburi FC since June 2023.

Faiq Bolkiah salary

Although former manager Sasit Singtothong suggested that the specifics of Faiq Bolkiah's pay with the Thai club would not be disclosed, ZonalSports have been able to gather unique information on this matter.

Notable is the fact that Faiq Bolkiah earns much less than other Thai League 1 players, since the Brunei captain refused to be awarded special advantages owing to his status.

In his current club, Ratchaburi, Faiq Bolkiah receives a monthly salary of 100,000 baht, which is roughly equivalent to $2,900 USD and not comparable to even the lowest earners in elite football.

Faiq Bolkiah net worth

As one of the legal heirs to the throne of the Sultan of Brunei, Faiq Bolkiah has a net worth of $20 billion or £16 billion, making him the richest footballer in the world.

During Faiq Bolkiah's debut for Brunei's under-23 team at 17 in Singapore, the stadium was extensively guarded by police and he had his own bodyguards.

As an act of imperial majesty, his personal attendants removed the plasters off his feet. However, he lived with the rest of the crew at the hotel.

Is Faiq Bolkiah richer than Ronaldo and Messi?

Messi and Ronaldo, the two wealthiest players in the world, are estimated to be worth a combined $1 billion, making Faiq Bolkiah's net worth 20 times that of the duo.

Why is Faiq Bolkiah so rich?

Jefri Bolkiah, Faiq Bolkiah's father and the Sultan's brother, is the head of the country's investment department. The Bolkiah family is the second-wealthiest royal family in the world, owning several real properties.

Brunei is a tiny nation on the island of Kalimantan in Southeast Asia, with an area similar to that of the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island, with a population of less than 400,000.

However, due to its abundance of oil and natural gas, the nation is tremendously prosperous. Brunei is still essentially a monarchy, therefore Sultan Hassanal is both a religious leader and head of state with absolute authority. This has enabled the royal family of Brunei, the Bolkiah dynasty, to amass enormous fortune. According to official sources, the Sultan of Brunei has a fortune of up to 28 billion dollars. 

Why does Faiq Bolkiah play football when he is so wealthy?

Kian William, a fellow academy player, did question Faiq Bolkiah why he eschewed the golds of Brunei in favour of wet evenings in Leicester. Faiq Bolkiah reportedly replied, 

"All of my brothers are sedentary back home. I really want to accomplish something. I do not want to be similar to them."

In a separate interview, Faiq Bolkiah stated: "I am the first Brunei player to ever compete at this level. I've worked diligently on this from a young age. It goes beyond that. It will take some time to achieve the greatest technological level.

"I want my family to be proud of me. It inspires me. They consistently encourage me to improve. When I get good news, I always rush to them. Additionally, I want to honour Brunei on the soccer pitch."

Faiq Bolkiah religion

Faiq Bolkiah and his family adhere to the Islamic religion.

Faiq Bolkiah lifestyle

According to a British source, Faiq Bolkiah spends $35 million every month on luxury automobiles, timepieces, and accessories.

However, he revealed in a January interview with Thai media that his life is so simplistic that he is unable to even exhaust his monthly pay of $2,900 USD.

In case of emergencies, Faiq Bolkiah also has a super-luxury credit card with a maximum of around 820,000 USD, provided by his father.

As a consequence of his passion for Korean film series, he celebrates with a heart.

Tigers and leopards are his preferred pets.

Faiq Bolkiah house

Faiq Bolkiah currently lives in a condo in Chonburi, Thailand with a rent rate of about 170 USD per month.

Faiq Bolkiah cars

Despite being the richest footballer in the world, Faiq Bolkiah lives a very modest life, and drives a Toyota Yaris to training.

Faiq Bolkiah relationship

When asked in a rare interview by Thai media if he had a girlfriend or wife, Faiq Bolkiah responded,

"I'm single. I do not want to concentrate on love at this time. I want to pursue my ambitions and demonstrate that I can play professional football."

Who is Faiq Bolkiah's father and siblings?

Faiq Bolkiah has 18 siblings from the five different spouses of his father, Jefri Bolkiah

Initially, Jefri was named Minister of Finance of Brunei by his brother, but in 1998, he was implicated in a massive scam that stunned the globe.

During his ten years as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jefri embezzled more than 10 billion dollars from Brunei's treasury, together with officials from other positions.

It is well-documented that Jefri spent $2.7 billion on 2,000 luxury automobiles in the United States and overseas, as well as on aircraft, innumerable luxury boats, gold and silver jewellery, house mistresses, and prostitutes. On the eve of the tragedy, Jefri absconded to Europe before seeking shelter in the United States.

It was at that time, in May 1998, that Faiq Bolkiah was born in Los Angeles, and within a few years went into exile with his father in England. 

Brunei's wealth was almost depleted due to Jefri's selfish wants, and Hassanal denounced his brother many times to the Privy Council.

Finally, they negotiated an agreement: Jefri transferred $6 billion in assets to his brother, Hassanal, who ceased pursuing the case, enabling his younger brother to settle in England.