According to data provided by the Bangladesh-based news outlet The Business Standard, King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand is the wealthiest among the world’s richest monarchs.
They come from lengthy lines of succession that rule over the economies and societies of entire countries; they are the original elite and rich. Furthermore, the world’s remaining monarchs continue to have abundant access to real estate, business holdings, stock ownership, and money itself, even in a world of democracies and the democratization of wealth.
The 10 wealthiest monarchs in the world are depicted in the following graphic by Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu. The estimations were provided by Bangladesh-based news outlet The Business Standard.
Ranked: The World’s Richest Monarchs
With a net worth of $43 billion, King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand is ranked #1 and is the richest monarch in the world. This remarkable wealth is derived from holdings in the largest cement firm and bank in the nation, as well as real estate holdings in Bangkok. The Crown Property Bureau oversaw the royal assets of Thailand’s king for eight decades before the current King personally received them in 2016.
This emerged as a major concern during the nation’s 2018 wave of student demonstrations, which also called into question the “excessive royal budget.”
The Business Standard’s estimation of the wealthiest monarchs worldwide is included here.
With an estimated net worth of $28 billion, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei is the second richest monarch. Investments in oil and gas make up the majority of this wealth; the industry is vital to Brunei’s economy, accounting for half of its GDP. The monarch enjoys lavishing his enormous fortune on several indulgences, including as many private jets and an enormous collection of 7,000 automobiles valued at over $5 billion.
In an interview, Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the West has tried to ‘weaponize’ Russian oil for ideological reasons.
Three Middle Eastern monarchs, whose combined wealth spans from $14 billion to $18 billion, are ranked third to fifth: King Salman bin Saud of Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi; and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai. According to an update to the source’s results, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan succeeded Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who passed away in May 2022 (after this data was compiled).
The next wealthiest are European kings from Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, albeit with fortunes in the single-digit billions, followed by the monarchs of Morocco and Qatar. Rounding out the top 10 is Monaco’s Prince Albert II, whose estimated net worth is $1 billion.
Estimates of wealth are frequently difficult to summarize precisely and frequently change when the value of property changes. Additionally, King Charles III and the former King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, both believed to be worth $2 billion, may rank in the top 10, depending on the source.
