It comes as no surprise that a large amount of the world’s riches lie in the hands of the world’s rulers. Forbes has compiled a list of the top fifteen richest royals, with one third being from oil-rich territories in the Middle East. Topping the list with an estimated net worth of $22 million is the Sultan of Brunei, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. The Sultan, who is worth 36 times more than the Queen of England, inherited his riches 40 years ago when he became the ruler of the 600-year-old Muslim dynasty. Coming in at number two is the Sheikh of the tiny emirate Abu Dhabi. While the emirate is small, it is home to one-tenth of the world’s oil reserves, and hence the Sheikh’s estimated worth of $21 billion. Two women rulers made the cut: Queen Elizabeth II, worth $600 million, coming in at the number 11 spot, and Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands in the 14th position with a worth of $300 million. Rounding out the list is King Mswati III – who at 39-years-old is the youngest royal on the list. The total worth of the fifteen richest world rulers is $95 billion! Below is the complete list.
1. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei ($22 billion)
2. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi ($21 billion)
3. King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia ($19 billion)
4. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai ($16 billion)
5. King Bhumibol Adulyadeg, Thailand ($5 billion)
6. Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein ($4.5. billion)
7. King Mohammed IV, Morocco ($2 billion)
8. Prince Albert II, Monaco ($1.2 billion)
9. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar ($1 billion)
10. Prince Karim Al Husseini ($1 billion)
11. Queen Elizabeth II, England ($600 million)
12. Sheikh Sabah Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait ($500 million)
13. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Oman ($500 million)
14. Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, Netherlands ($300 million)
15. King Mswati III, Swaziland ($200 million)
News
September 7, 2007Celebrity Living: Vijay Singh
