Rory McIlroy's new UK neighbour is worth £22bn, pays £15,000 a haircut and owns private zoo
Rory McIlroy owns a luxury mansion in a neighbourhood where he can now count one of the richest men on the planet as his neighbour. McIlroy and his family bought the house in the sprawling Wentworth estate in Surrey back in 2023.
He has since claimed to have spent up to £9million in kitting out the home for when he moves in. Alongside his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy, McIlroy paid a visit to the house shortly after winning the Masters in April to check on the status of the rennovations.
McIlroy and Stoll have been living in a £16.5m mansion in Jupiter, Florida, since buying the property from golf icon Ernie Els in 2017. While that neighbourhood was packed with Hollywood stars, giants of the tech world and fellow golfers, perhaps none of them can hold a candle to the PGA Tour star's newest neighbour - the Sultan of Brunei.
McIlroy's new estate houses several high-profile names, from Elton John and Cliff Richard, but it's the presence of the Sultan, who is worth £22.3billion that really gives the area and its wealthy status an undeniable sheen.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 79, owns numerous luxury houses in several stunning locales. Yet from time to time, he will drop in on his home next to the McIlroys. He was first crowned the 29th Sultan of Brunei in 1968 and is now known as the longest-reigning monarch in the world, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.
The Sultan primarily lives in the Istana Nurul Iman, in Brunei, which is the planet's largest palace, featuring an astonishing 1,788 rooms. While serving as the prime minister of Brunei, he also holds several other positions that focus on finance and defence.
He is known to be a qualified pilot, and in an obscene show of wealth, boasts a private collection of around 500 Rolls-Royces, with 7,000 cars to his name overall.
Personal care is also high on the Sultan's list. He reportedly spends £15,000 on a haircut and has his personal barber, who works at London's Dorchester Hotel, fly out to give him a quick trim. A private zoo with 30 Bengal tigers and a range of exotic birds is also one of his prized assets.
Under his rule, Brunei earned its status as one of the world's wealthiest countries. Entertainment is also a priority, as he was once believed to have paid the late Michael Jackson £12m to perform at his 50th birthday party.
Not one for keeping things low-key, the birthday celebrations apparently lasted over two weeks. The sultan has faced challenges on the international stage, however.
His interpretation of Sharia law, which allowed whipping and stoning to death for those guilty of adultery, homosexuality and rape, was met with backlash.
This later led to a boycott of extravagant hotels owned by the Sultan, including the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
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