World's richest footballer worth almost 350 times more than Premier League's highest-paid star
Erling Haaland may have secured a lucrative £500,000-per-week contract with Manchester City, but he'll do well to ever reach the fortune of Faiq Bolkiah. Haaland already has a reported net worth of around £58million.
And while his staggering deal at the Etihad Stadium until 2034 will see him bolster his bank balance by at least another £273m if he sees it out, it will still pale in comparison to the incredible fortune Bolkiah is set to inherit - despite him never making a senior appearance in any of the world's leading leagues.
While the 27-year-old was once a bright star in Chelsea's prestigious academy, as well as the youth systems of both Leicester City and Southampton, the Los Angeles-born winger never managed to cut it at the elite level. Bolkiah signed his first professional contract with Maritimo, who currently compete in Portugal's second tier, five years ago.
He moved to Thai League 1 side Chonburi in 2021, making just 32 appearances before he was on the move once again, this time to league rivals Ratchaburi, where he has been since 2023. While players in the league won't be anywhere near as well compensated as some of Europe's leading stars, Bolkiah won't have to worry about his earnings all too much, given he is the heir to a £20billion fortune - almost 350 times the amount Haaland is currently worth.
That's because he is a member of the Brunei Royal Family, with the majority of his vast wealth coming as a result of being the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. Their extensive assets include oil and gas reserves, luxury properties, and investments that completely overshadow most athletes and celebrities alike.
Regardless of his fortune, it is evident that Bolkiah has remained incredibly humble during his career as a footballer if some of his former peers' opinions are anything to go by. Bolkiah was at Chelsea's youth academy at the same time as the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham, and Ruben Sammut, with the latter explaining just how down to earth he was.
Previously 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.
"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."
Haaland will look to fire Manchester City back to Premier League supremacy after losing their crown to Liverpool last season. The 25-year-old striker was still in incredible form, scoring 22 goals in 33 league appearances for the Cityzens, who finished third.
Haaland also impressed at the Club World Cup this summer, notching three goals and an assist from four appearances before Pep Guardiola's side were eliminated from the tournament in the round of 16 by Al-Hilal.
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