Top 10 Richest Kings In The World 2023

A king/King regnant is the title ascribed to a monarch who is male across a range of various contexts. The female holders of an equivalent title are known as Queen Regnant as the case may be. Used in the context of this article, a king refers to a sovereign head of state in a monarchy.

In many cases, the monarch himself holds the highest power as well as authority in the nation over all matters, or in some cases, the power may be welded on his behalf. The title and position granted by the monarchy are usually gotten via inheritance usually as the heir to the throne of the former ruler of the nation, or in some cases, he may simply be selected from a family, based on established rules and requirements he has successfully fulfilled. This position, unlike that of a president or prime minister, usually only ends for one person, upon his/her death, although there are times when a ruling monarch may be abdicated for various reasons.

This article aims to focus on the richest kings in the world who stand out from the rest in terms of wealth. They are the top in that category and they have the money and the influence to back up their positions on this list. This article intends to tell you just how much that takes. 

Top 10 Richest Kings In The World 2023

1. KING OF THAILAND 

Thailand also called a golden triangle, is one country that has tried its very best to be at the top of its own game despite other countries in Asia falling out due to colonialism. Thailand had withstood external chaos and unified itself as one, and they are known to have the richest Monarch in the world. This ruler owns an enormous wealth of gold carat, and he has sat on his throne for over 70 years now which makes him the longest-serving ruler in the country.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn

The reigning King of Thailand, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is the richest king in the world. King Maha was born on the 28th day of July in the year 1852 and is currently 65 years old. He has been king since the year 2016 and is the only male child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn became the crown prince after being named so by his father in the year 1972 when he was just 20 years old. Upon the death of his father on the 13th of October in the year 2016, he was due to take his place as king but due to the heavy situation, he requested to be given more time to mourn the loss of his father before taking up the mantle of king. On the night of the first day of December in the year 2016, he finally accepted his rightful place as the King of Thailand. He is the tenth monarch in the Chakri dynasty and is styled as Rama X. As a result of how old he was at the time of his ascension to the throne, he is known to be the oldest Monarch to ever ascend the throne as king in Thailand.

The wealth of the king and his family can mostly be linked back to investments gotten from the Crown Property Bureau, official managers of the property owned by the crown in the Kingdom of Thailand. This is known to own the world’s largest cut and faceted diamond, the Golden Jubilee Diamond, with 545 carats. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has a net worth of $30 billion.

2. KING OF BRUNEI 

He is known as Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and is said to be worth over 20 billion dollars. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Brunei was born on the 15th of July in the year 1946 and is currently aged 71 years. He is the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei. Hassanal Bolkiah is also the first and current Prime Minister of Brunei as well. He is the oldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III and the “Raji Isteri” Pengiran Anak Damit. His father was abdicated in the year 1967, on the fifth day of October and he took up the position of Sultan. His wealth can be linked to profits made from oil and gas. His palace is the largest in the world and is known to have cost over $350 million. He is a lover of cars and is known to own over 600 Rolls-Royces.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Of Brunei

Brunei is a country which is located in the southeast part of Asia, although it is not enormous in size it holds the third riches Monarch in the world. This country also deals in gas and oil and the Sultan is rumored to be very lavish with his spending. He has a lot of vehicles which he has acquired with his wealth and he also has houses built in his name all over the world.

3. KING OF SAUDI ARABIA 

He is known as King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and is known to be worth over 17 billion dollars. Saudi Arabia which is known as the place where Islam came into existence houses the fourth richest King in the world. His family is a very wealthy one and has a lot of proud investments.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

This king is 82 years old and takes our number 3 spot. He has been the king and prime minister of Saudi Arabia as well as the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques since the 23rd day of January in the year 2015. He was born on December 31st, 1935. He served as the deputy governor and then Governor of Riyadh for a period of 48 years spanning the year 1963 to the year 2011. Afterward, he became the minister of Defense and was then named Crown Prince in the year 2012 after the death of Nayef bin Abdulaziz, his brother. He was officially crowned as king on the 23rd of January in the year 2015. As a King, some of the major initiatives he is credited with are the Saudi intervention in the Civil war in Yemen, the Saudi vision 2030 as well as a degree in 2017 that finally allowed women in Saudi Arabia to drive. His wealth is linked to the fact that his family owns a media group that includes the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat as well as Al Eqtisadiah. He is worth $17 billion.

4. KING OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 

He is known with a long name known as Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who is said to be worth approx 15 billion dollars and is ranked as the second richest King in the world.

It is very known that the UAE deals majorly in oil, and there is a lot of wildlife in the country that people always want to visit no matter what. This country holds the world’s biggest mosque. Sheikh is a head of state for the UAE and he is known to be a philanthropist and is a citizen is asked, he would describe King Sheikh as a good man. 

KING OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Aged 69, Emir Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the 4th richest king in the world. He was born in the year 1948, on the 7th of September and is the president of the UAE, Emir of Abu Dhabi as well as the Supreme Commander of the UDF (Union Defence Force). He took over from his father on the 2nd of November in the year 2004 and became the Federation’s president the very following day. While his father was battling some problems regarding his health in the late 1990s, Khalifa bin Zayed as Crown Prince was already acting in the capacity of president. His fortune was amassed from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, managers of the excess oil reserves belonging to the UAE of which he is the chairman. He has a net worth of $15 billion.

5. PRINCE OF LIECHTENSTEIN 

He is known as Prince Hans Adam the second, worth over 4 billion dollars. He is said to be solely in charge of the country’s trust. This country houses the sixth richest king in the world, although he addresses himself as Prince Hans.

Aged 73, the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein comes in at number 6 on this list. He is also known as the Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, and Count Rietberg. He has a net worth of $5 billion and a large part of the wealth of the Princely House of Liechtenstein is the fact that it owns a private bank known as the LGT as well as other investments that have been made via the Prince of Liechtenstein foundation.

6. KING OF MOROCCO 

He is known as Mohammed Vi, and he is said to be worth over 3 billion dollars. King Mohammed has sat on his throne since the year 1999, and aside from being a King, he is also known as a businessman. He loves culture, and he often reminds his people of the value they should hold in their indigenous language.

Mohammed VI of Morocco

King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne on the 23rd of July in the year 1999. He did so following the death of King Hassan, his father. He is currently 54 and is the 5th richest king in the world. He was the oldest son and second child of King Hassan II and Lalla Latifa Hammou, the King’s second wife. He was declared the crown prince and heir apparent to the throne upon his birth. His wealth comes in large part from the fact that his family owns Morocco’s National Investment group. It is a private holding company and is known to invest in different African countries. It also operates in the field of banking, renewable energy, and telecommunication. He has a net worth of $5.7 billion.

7. EMIR SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM 

He was born on the 15th of July in the year 1949 and is currently 68 years old. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the vice president as well as the prime minister of the UAE. He is also the ruler of Dubai, a position he has held since the year 2006 after his brother Sheikh Maktoum died. Today, Dubai is a global city and it is because of this man. He is also credited with a host of other achievements done using his position as ruler including the launch of enterprises like Emirates airline, Jumeirah Group, and DP world. He has spent a good amount of his wealth on donations to charity, but he has a net worth of $4.5 billion.

8. GRAND DUKE HENRI 

With a net worth of $4 billion, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the 8th richest king in the world. His reign started on the 7th of October in the year 2000. Grand Duke Henri is the oldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. He was born on the 16th of April in the year 1955 and is currently 63 years old. While the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg is not known to get a salary, it receives a grant of around $324,851 annually towards the execution of its functions. With their net worth, however, they don’t exactly need the grant.

9. KING OF QATAR 

He is known as Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his net worth is about 1.2 billion dollars. Have you ever heard of Purple Island, this can be found in Qatar which is an Oasis? The ruler went to a Military academy and graduated, after which he went into the Armed Forces and had so many proud positions. He is also ranked as the eighth richest King in the world. 

The Sheikh was born on the 3rd of June in the year 1980 and is currently 38 years old. He holds the current position of Amir of Qatar and is the fourth son of the former Amir. On the 25th of June in the year 2013, after the abdication of his father, he became Qatar’s 5th Amir. Within Qatar, he is known to have occupied various offices in government and has been very active in acts geared towards promoting sports and its events within the country. He holds the record of being the youngest reigning Monarch among the countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council. he is also the current youngest sovereign in the world. He is known to have a net worth of $2.4 billion which largely comes from the Qatar Investment Authority, responsible for handling and managing the oil and gas reserves of the nation.

10. KING OF MONACO 

He is known as Prince Albert II, and he is worth over 1 billion dollars. He is said to have a lot of real estate in and out of Monaco and even in Europe. He is a stakeholder at a Casino situated in Monte Carlo. Monaco is the smallest country in the world, it is home to one of the richest kings in the world. 

Prince Albert II is 60 years old born in the year 1958 on the 14th of March and is the current monarch in the Principality of Monaco. He is also the head of the princely house of Grimaldi. Reportedly, the net worth of Prince Albert II comprises of ¼ of the land that is under his reign and also, a collection of antique cars, shares in a resort in Monte Carlo, an expensive collection of stamps, as well as the Philadelphia-home area of his mother, the American Actress, Grace Kelly which Prince Albert bought in the year 2016 for a reported $754,000.

More On The Richest Kings In The World

There are situations where a young child emerges as the ruling king of a nation, due perhaps, to the death of the previous ruler. In such a case, a regent is usually appointed by the people, based on established rules, to govern the nation within the time it will take for the heir to reach the age at which he can take his rightful place as king.

Not all monarchs have absolute power over matters of state and in many cases, a king or queen regnant may simply be a ceremonial head of state. In such a case, such a king does not have direct power over the matters of state as those matters are handled by an established body or parliament set up for that purpose.

It is possible for multiple monarchies to have the same monarch as can be seen in the case of Canada and the United Kingdom.

The title of King comes along with its own responsibilities, which are as weighty as one can imagine. Kings are usually tasked with matters of state and wellbeing of their people and it is for this reason that the popular saying goes “Heavy lies the head that wears the crown.” When one looks past the flamboyance of the position, then one can truly begin to explore the entire implications of having the burden of an entire people resting on your shoulders.

Most kings and monarchs across the globe are usually rich as they usually control the wealth of the nation aside from tributes that they receive and personal business involvements they may have. Running a successful nation is never easy or cheap and neither is funding the fairytale lifestyle that is befitting of one sitting on the throne.

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CONCLUSION 

All Kings are rich, but these selected few outstand and outshine in so many ways that cannot be overemphasized. They are not only rich because they say they are, they are rich because that is how they are. 

The men that make up this list of richest kings in the world in every sense have the money with which to facilitate the lifestyle. Their various nations and kingdoms benefit from their rule, and benevolence as many are dedicated to the advancement of the places they rule over.