The Extravagant Life Of The Sultan Of Brunei

With a net worth of $30 billion, the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the world's wealthiest people. He is the world's longest-serving current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state. The Sultan's lavish lifestyle includes a private zoo, a fleet of luxury cars, and a gilded Boeing 747. His palace, Istana Nurul Iman, is the largest residential palace in the world, with 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and 110 parking spaces. The Sultan's extravagant spending also extends to his personal appearance, as he reportedly flies his barber in from London and spends £20,000 on a single haircut.

The Sultan's $70 million Renoir painting

The Sultans $70 million Renoir painting, titled "Two Young Girls at the Piano" or "Jeunes Filles au Piano", is a lavish purchase exemplifying the extravagant lifestyle of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The painting is the fifth and final oil painting in Renoir's series of the same name and was created during the artist's enthusiastic or "pearl" period.

The Sultan's acquisition of this artwork reflects his passion for art and his willingness to spend enormous sums to acquire rare and valuable pieces. This particular painting is a notable addition to his vast art collection, which also includes a $18.6 million pastel study of the same scene by Renoir.

The Sultan's extravagant spending extends beyond art. He is known for his love of luxury cars, owning one of the largest collections of rare automobiles in the world, with a fleet of almost 7,000 vehicles, including Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, and Bentleys. His residence, the Istana Nurul Iman Palace, is the largest in the world, featuring over 1,700 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and five swimming pools. He also owns a private jet, a Boeing 747, which he had customized with gold and crystals, costing him around $400 million.

The Sultan of Brunei's lavish lifestyle is funded by his immense wealth, estimated at $28-30 billion, largely derived from the country's oil and gas reserves. His spending habits, including his $70 million purchase of the Renoir painting, showcase his extravagant tastes and emphasize his status as one of the wealthiest and most lavish spenders in the world.

The Sultan's private zoo

The Sultan of Brunei's private zoo is an extravagant addition to his already lavish lifestyle. The zoo is home to around 30 Bengal tigers, as well as a variety of bird species, including cockatoos, flamingos, and falcons. These birds are trained to perform tricks, such as riding bicycles, playing basketball, and even mimicking human speech. The zoo is located within the grounds of the Sultan's palace, Istana Nurul Iman, which is the largest residential palace in the world, spanning over two million square feet.

The Sultan's love for exotic animals extends beyond his private zoo. Rumours suggest that he once gave his daughter an Airbus A340 as a birthday present, and he is also said to rent out some of his 7,000 luxury vehicles to car collectors.

The Istana Nurul Iman Palace was built in 1984 to commemorate Brunei's independence from British rule. The palace features a blend of Malay and Islamic architecture, with golden domes, vaulted roofs, and intricate Islamic calligraphy. It boasts over 1,700 rooms, 257 bathrooms, five swimming pools, and a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 5,000 guests. The palace is not open to the public but is used for important state functions and specific Muslim holidays, such as the eid-ul-Fitr festival, when it welcomes around 110,000 people.

The Sultan's car collection

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has a car collection that is frequently regarded as the largest private car collection in the world, consisting of approximately 7,000 cars, with an estimated value of over $5 billion. The collection includes custom-made Bentleys, Ferraris, BMWs, and a McLaren F1 LM.

The collection was assembled with the help of the Sultan's brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, and other royal family members in Brunei. Many of the cars are housed in a sizeable property guarded by a tall razor-wire-topped wall and a front gate that can withstand bombs. The property is made up of eight two-story structures, each measuring around 250 feet in length and 60 feet in width. There are roughly 120 automobiles each level.

The Sultan's collection notably includes around 600 Rolls-Royces, 450 Ferraris, and 380 Bentleys. One of the most unusual cars in the collection is the Bentley Dominator SUV, which was the company's first SUV, arriving long before the Bentayga. The Sultan is so rich that he was able to commission a few of these SUVs, which are said to borrow bits from the Range Rover. Each one carried a cost of around US$4.6 million, and this cash injection helped Bentley navigate troubled times in the 1990s.

Other unique Bentleys in the collection include the Continental R Superfast, the Buccaneer GT coupe, and the Java with its powerful twin-turbo V8. The latter was ordered in wagon form, too. The Sultan also owns a 24-carat gold-plated Silver Spur II, which was used on his wedding day.

The Sultan acquired a custom gold-coated Rolls-Royce for the wedding of his daughter, Princess Majededah, in 2007. This raises curiosity about his plans for the recent grand 10-day wedding of his 10th son, Prince Mateen, to Anisha Rosnah Isa-Kalebic, the granddaughter of the Sultan’s special advisor.

The Sultan's collection also includes a unique Bentley Buccaneer, a distinctive Porsche 911 with Horizon Blue paint and an X88 power package, and a McLaren F1 LM.

The Sultan's palace

The Istana Nurul Iman Palace, the primary residence of the Sultan of Brunei, is the largest residential palace in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was built to commemorate Brunei's independence from British rule in 1984.

The palace covers an area of 2 million square feet and has 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, a banquet hall that can accommodate 5,000 people, 110 parking spaces, an air-conditioned stable for 200 polo horses, five swimming pools, a helicopter, and a mosque with a capacity of 1,500 people. The palace also has 44 staircases constructed of 38 different types of marble.

The palace's dome is embellished with 22-carat gold, and its windows and doors are embellished with pure gold tiles. Gold is also used for the door knobs. The primary materials used to adorn the palace are gold and marble. The interior designer, Khuan Chew, also worked on the development of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

The Istana Nurul Iman is not just the home of the royal family, but also the official seat of the Bruneian government and the Sultanate's headquarters. It often hosts international leaders. During the month of Ramadan, it is open to the public for three days.

The Sultan's private jet

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the world's few remaining absolute monarchs. He is also one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, with a net worth of $30 billion.

The Sultan is said to have added extras worth an additional $120 million, including a gold washbasin. The total cost of the jet and its customisations is estimated to be close to $3,000 crore ($400 million).

The Sultan's private fleet of VIP aircraft also includes a Boeing 747-8, a Boeing 767-200, a Boeing 787-8, and helicopters such as the Sikorsky S70 and S76.

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