Luxurious wedding of the Prince of Brunei and a programmer. The last normal sultan on Earth (the richest dictator in the world) The guy admits that his family has a lot of influence on him

Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadi Billa Bolkiah has been a darling of fortune since birth. He was lucky to be the first to be born in a large family of one of the richest people in the world in a country where an absolute monarchy still exists. He has 11 brothers and sisters, born from four marriages of his father, Sultan Bolkiah. His parents are first cousins. And if the monarch managed to divorce his second and third wives, depriving them of palace benefits, then the first and main wife-relative Saleh is always with him.

© REUTERS / Olivia Harris Image source: Moya-planeta.ru

The education of their first-born was long and thorough: His Royal Majesty graduated from universities in Brunei and Oxford, and additionally studied the Koran and the basics of diplomacy. Al-Muhtadi is not a secular person and does not receive much attention from the paparazzi, but he is busy with business: Heads the Cabinet of Ministers of Brunei. In 2004, photographs from the prince’s luxurious wedding with a 17-year-old commoner named Sarah spread around the world. Princes, kings and sultans of neighboring states gathered for the celebration.

The prince was 30 years old at the time of the wedding. Since then, three children have been born into the family. The Crown Prince of Brunei owns a collection of sports cars from all over the world and enjoys swimming, football and billiards. His father will soon be 70 years old, and the day is not far when Al-Muhtadi will become Sultan and move to the Istana Nurul Iman palace, built of pure gold and marble, in which 1778 rooms and 200,000 m² - and this, by the way, is a world record.

Prince of Dubai

Looking like Disney's Aladdin, the 33-year-old crown prince of the Emirate of Dubai is fabulously rich and is among the top most eligible bachelors on the planet. He bears the pompous name Hamdan ibn Mohammed al-Maktoum and the titles of Sheikh, His Excellency and His Highness, but at the same time he is far from officialdom. The prince is fond of extreme sports, writes poems about his homeland, leads- more than 3 million users have subscribed to his page, filled with selfies, children, animals and beautiful landscapes. Hamdan was declared crown prince only in 2008, and his older brother Rashid, who had been groomed for power since childhood, was forced to abdicate. This sudden reshuffle was explained only recently, after WikiLeaks publications: it was reported that Rashid killed one of the assistants in the emir's palace, after which the angry sheikh revised the order of succession.

Hamdan received an excellent education and is very well prepared for his future role as head of state. First, he graduated from the Dubai Government School, then the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where the heirs to the British throne, Harry and William, studied and where Arab sheikhs traditionally send their children, then the London School of Economics. Today, Hamdan holds several key positions: he heads an investment fund, a university named after him, the Young Entrepreneurs Support League, the Sports Committee and the Dubai Autism Research Center. His fortune, according to Forbes magazine, was $18 billion in 2011.

Prince of Jordan

The 21-year-old Crown Prince of Jordan, the eldest son of King Abdullah II, Hussein bin al-Abdullah, is actively involved in his father’s affairs, despite his youth and studies at Georgetown University in Washington. He accompanies his parent on his trips around the country and abroad, takes part in military and official events, several times served as regent and acted as monarch during the king's trips abroad.

The prince's official website states that he is direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad in the 42nd generation and named after his grandfather, who is the founder of modern Jordan. Last year he took part in a meeting of the UN Security Council and became the youngest participant in its history.

IN He bears the pompous name Hamdan ibn Mohammed al-Maktoum and the titles of Sheikh, His Excellency and His Highness, but at the same time he is far from officialdom. The prince is fond of extreme sports, writes poems about his homeland, leads the prince can be seen not only in a business suit, but also in a military uniform with a machine gun in his hands (he is a junior lieutenant in the Jordanian Armed Forces), and in a keffiyeh, a red and white headscarf traditionally worn by men in Arab countries, and in casual clothes . The prince plays football, rides a motorcycle, visits sick children, poses with his brother and sisters and subtly advertises the beauty of his native country. He is still far from the popularity of the Dubai prince - he does not even have half a million subscribers.

Princes of Wales

There are a lot of princes in Europe. The most popular are British: 67-year-old Prince Charles, who still will not give up the throne to his mother Queen Elizabeth II - the longest-reigning monarch in the history of Great Britain, and his sons from his marriage to Princess Diana: 33-year-old William and 31-year-old Harry.

The prince brothers were raised without officialdom from childhood: Princess Diana insisted that her children should not be educated in isolation, but should go to school along with their peers. At a boys' boarding school, Crown Prince William shared a room with four students and led the hockey and rugby teams. True, later, at Eton College, he lived separately and used a special shower, but this was done for his own safety. William later graduated from the prestigious University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Part of the education of both princes included travel, work practice and military service: in particular, William visited Chile and several African countries, worked on a dairy farm and managed to study at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and flying school. Today he is a captain in the Royal Air Force and a rescue helicopter pilot. In December 2011, William participated in the operation to rescue Russian sailors from the sinking ship Swanland. In 2010, the prince married Kate Middleton, with whom he studied in Scotland; their wedding was included in the Guinness Book of Records for the “largest number of views of an event live.” The couple has since had a son, Crown Prince George of Cambridge, and a daughter, Charlotte.

Crazy child, as the journalists called Harry,- only the fifth in line of heirs to the throne. In the past, he had been caught drinking alcohol and marijuana, received poor grades in geography, and as an adult he took part in risky combat operations in Afghanistan and, according to British press reports, killed one of the leaders of the Taliban movement. Today Prince Harry - the most eligible bachelor in all of Europe.

Prince of Nassau and Prince of Parma

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg has three sons and two daughters. The eldest of them, 34-year-old Guillaume, is stately and handsome. He is the heir to Luxembourg and bears the pompous titles: Hereditary Grand Duke, Prince of Nassau and Prince of Parma.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary, a portrait of the son and father was printed on a commemorative €2 coin. The future Duke speaks fluently five languages: his native Luxembourgish, as well as French, English, Spanish and German. Wherever he studied: in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Great Britain and France, he graduated, like many princes, from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and with honors from the Faculty of Languages, Philology and Humanities at the University of Angers, majoring in political science. During ten years of service in the Armed Forces of Luxembourg, he managed to rise to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 2012, Guillaume, to the regret of many women, married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, a representative of an ancient Belgian aristocratic family. The couple has a common titled ancestor, and both love music and sports. The prince can play the piano and guitar, the princess can play along on the violin. In the past, Guillaume sang in a children's choir and was even a member of the school rock band at the Swiss college Alpin Beausoleil. The Crown Prince has headed the Economic Development Council for 15 years,

visited Russia, the USA, Canada, South Korea and other countries, and has been a member of the State Council for ten years. But his main task now is to give his father and all of Luxembourg an heir: the newlyweds still have not had children.

Prince of Liechtenstein

The dwarf European state of Liechtenstein still maintains a constitutional monarchy. Although Prince Hans-Adam II is in power, state affairs have been managed since 2004 by his eldest son, 47-year-old Crown Prince Alois Philipp Maria, also known as Count Rietberg.

Alois spent his childhood in Vaduz Castle with his brothers and sisters: Maximilian, Constantine and Tatiana. After studying at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, he served in Hong Kong and London for six months. After graduating from the law department of the University of Salzburg, he managed to work in an auditing company in London, until the pope-prince called him and entrusted all state affairs to his shoulders - he appointed him regent. three sons and a daughter, as well as a beautiful wife Sophia from an aristocratic family - a descendant of the last king of Bavaria, Louis III. In politics, Alois also advocates large families: when the question of legalizing abortion arose, the prince threatened to veto, and the activists lost. Today, abortion is still illegal in Liechtenstein and the population is only growing - largely thanks to the prince, almost 37,000 people live in the dwarf state.

Every year on August 15, Alois and his family organize an open day at the family castle and treat all guests to drinks and delicacies.

Prince of Denmark

A modern version of the Cinderella fairy tale could be made about 47-year-old Danish Prince Frederik. He married a simple teacher from Australia, whom he met in 2000 in a pub in Sydney, where he came to the Olympics. As the legend goes, Frederick, who was then 28 years old, did not introduce himself to the girl as a prince, but met with her incognito for some time. Mary Donaldson, the daughter of emigrants from Scotland, moved to Europe a year after they met and married the crown prince in 2004. True, for this she had to renounce Australian citizenship, convert to Lutheranism and learn Danish. Now the happy couple already has four children: two boys and two girls.

Frederik is the eldest son of Queen Margrethe II, She is 75 years old, and for the sake of her accession to the throne, the law on succession to the throne was changed in Denmark: three girls and not a single boy were born in the family of her father Frederick IX. Her son Frederick attended Harvard University, interned at the UN in New York, received a PhD in political science from Aarhus University and has had a career in all branches of the military: he is a rear admiral in the navy, a major general in the army and air force.

Prince of Norway

Prince of Norway, 42-year-old Haakon, has a sister, Martha Louise, who is two years older than him. Haakon was lucky to be born before the law regarding male superiority in inheritance of the crown was repealed. Martha Louise herself is a strange person, she writes books about angels and runs the Center for Teaching Alternative Medicine. One day she shocked the public by declaring her paranormal abilities - in particular, that she could hear angels.

Unlike her, Haakon is a person without features. As a child, he went to a regular kindergarten, then graduated from high school and a Christian gymnasium. Its universities are the Naval Preparatory School in Stavanger, the Naval Academy in Horten, the University of California and the University of Oslo. The prince currently serves in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

Haakon is married. In 2001, the tabloids spent a long time discussing Haakon’s scandalous marriage: he married his single mother, Mette-Marit, who, when they met, worked as a waitress and raised her four-year-old son Marius (the boy’s father was in prison for drug possession). All relatives, of course, were against this marriage, but Haakon acted decisively: he adopted a child (however, Marius is not involved in inheriting the throne) and married a commoner. They had two more children: the first-born, Ingrid's daughter Alexandra, she will inherit the crown from her father, leaving Sverre's younger brother Magnus with his nose. Together with their children, the couple vacations at ski resorts, rides on a yacht and radiates happiness in family photographs.

Prince Abdul-Mateen Bolkiah is the second of four children of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his former second wife, Princess Consort Mariam.
The Sultan was married to ex-stewardess Mariam from 1982-2003, and divorced her to marry famous TV presenter Azrinaz Mazhar.

Mariam, stripped of all her titles, was quickly expelled from Brunei with a ban on ever returning. Since then, she has settled in London, and feels quite confident, thanks to the unspoken financial support of Queen Salehi. They say that Mariam always “knew her place” and managed to establish good relations with the Sultan’s main wife. This was useful to her, since Mariam’s children were taken away, and the queen was in charge of raising them.

The marriage of the monarch with the next princess consort Azrinaz lasted only 5 years. In 2010, the monarch suddenly discovered that his young wife (33 years younger than her husband) was involved in preparing a military coup with her general lover. The divorce, the arrest of her lover and the divorce from Azrinaz took place within 24 hours. It is difficult to understand what angered the monarch more - betrayal of her husband or treason of a former TV star. Azrinaz’s children were also taken away and given to the care of Queen Salehi. But Azrinaz, according to some information, was expelled outside the Sultanate and now leads a modest private life, but is quite successfully engaged in business.

Prince Mateen, unlike his older, unlucky brother Prince Azim, has a serious character, tenacity and will. He graduated with honors from the Sandhurst Military Academy, received the rank of lieutenant in the Brunei border troops and served honorably for three years, catching drug dealers and arms dealers on the mountain trails.
By order of the Sultan, the prince left military service, which he apparently liked, and entered the University of London. Now he is studying with a degree in international diplomacy. Speaks English, French, Arabic and Italian.

Prince Mateen is a good athlete. As a child, he dreamed of becoming “just like Beckham,” and still plays football. He is involved in charity work. Recently I played in a charity polo match, and the money was donated to a children’s cancer clinic.

At a charity polo match in February 2016. The Sultan Father also participated:

She dreams of creating a family “based on respect and trust with a balanced and kind girl.”
Are there anyone interested?

Behind-the-scene video from the prince's photo shoot for CQ magazine:

Interview with the prince translated into English:

Exclusive interview with His Royal Highness Prince "Abdul Mateen"

8. Being a Lieutenant in the Brunei armed services, and having graduated from the prestigious Military Academy Sandhurst, how has your strong military background helped you develop as a man?

“Well I entered Sandhusrt when I was eighteen; actually I was one of the youngest candidates. Sandhurst is basically a 44-week grueling course of leadership, mental strength and physical strength basically testing your ability to function under extreme pressure (actually I met a very good Thai friend there who was in my platoon).
Let me just tell you the essence of my military training through this one experience I had. The most grueling thing I did was this digging exercise…we had to dig trenches for three days straight non-stop with no sleep, and every time I started to fall asleep, the instructors would kick me and wake me up - because that's what they are trying to do, physically exhaust you to your limit.
At the end of it, having been physically exhausted beyond my limit, they would make us think, and solve problems - and that was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do.
Or, another example is having to complete a 74 kilometers race, non-stop walking, up 7 mountains in 24 hours. And that’s essentially what we did for 44 weeks. But looking back on it, it’s been the greatest thing I’ve ever done because it’s really made me become a physically and mentally strong person.
And these are the qualities and attributes that any good leader must have; the ability to work under extreme pressure. Graduating from Sandhurst is probably one of the achievements to date that I am most proud of.”

9. Who has had a profound influence on you, your idol, or inspiration?

“Honestly growing up I was a big football fan and David Beckham was my biggest idol, even till today I think he’s a pretty incredible guy.
I used to play a lot of football and get his haircuts and his style. And that’s why I’m still supporting Manchester United.”

Asian girls like Prince Mateen. Fan video about the prince:

instagram.com/tmski

25-year-old Abdul Mateen, who is fourth in line to the throne, was recognized as the world's most eligible bachelor in 2016, reports Elite Daily .

The fortune of the Sultan of Brunei (a state in Southeast Asia) Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the prince's father, is estimated at $20 billion. In addition to Matin, the Sultan is raising 11 more children: seven daughters and four sons.

The new favorite of girls from all over the world graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2011 with the rank of second lieutenant.

instagram.com/tmski

He has an MA from London's School of Oriental and African Studies, where he graduated last year.

instagram.com/tmski

Speaks several foreign languages, in particular English, French, Arabic and Italian.

Was once on the cover of a publication GQ in Thailand.

In his free time, a Muslim spends time with his family, enjoys traveling and playing polo, boxing and skiing.

instagram.com/tmski

It is noteworthy that the prince enjoys attention from the fair sex, but still has not found his soul mate.

She probably just has to be real. Simplicity is what can really attract me,” this is how the son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah described his future wife.

Account Instagram Mateen has almost 400 thousand subscribers.

See photos with Abdul Mateen:

Let us remind you that the heir to the British throne, Prince Harry, who for a long time bore the title of the most eligible bachelor on the planet, is no longer alone. For the last six months, the media have only been discussing his relationship with the American actress Meghan Markle, with whom the prince plans to tie the knot.

But a holy place is never empty, and the fair sex has a great opportunity to dream about another handsome man.

Watch the video with Abdul Mateen:

Abdul Mateen plays golf

Prince Harry has been considered one of the world's most eligible bachelors since his brother William married Kate Middleton in 2011. Last week, Harry announced his engagement to Suits actress Meghan Markle, breaking many women's hearts.

Don’t be upset, because there are enough princes left on the planet who are not inferior to the British handsome man.

Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, 35

Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum has 5.9 million followers on Instagram and is much loved by the press and his people. Hamdan became crown prince in 2008 when his older brother abdicated the throne.

The prince writes poetry and enjoys equestrianism, skydiving, falconry and photography. Graduated from the London School of Economics. A well-known philanthropist, he supports several foundations and donates blood.

Hussein bin al-Abdallah, Crown Prince of Jordan, 23 years old

Hussein bin al-Abdallah is the son of King Abdul II and Queen Rania (also known as the muse of Giorgio Armani), the first contender for the throne of the Kingdom of Jordan.

Prince Hussein is well educated, a graduate of the prestigious Georgetown University in Washington, and, like Prince William and Harry, graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in August 2017. A senior lieutenant in the Jordanian Armed Forces, his Instagram is filled with photos from military exercises. He likes to ride a motorcycle through the desert, and in the evenings he plays the guitar to “unload his brain a little.” More than 1.2 million people follow him on Instagram.

Constantine-Alexios, Prince of Greece and Denmark, 19 years old

HRH Constantine-Alexios is the eldest son of Prince Paul of Greece and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, and godson of Prince William. The monarchy in Greece was abolished back in 1973, but the family retained the title and extensive connections with other royal houses of Europe. The prince has an older sister, Maria Olympia, who was credited with having an affair with Prince Harry, and three younger brothers. The prince is only 19 years old and a first-year student at the famous Georgetown University.

Abdul Mateen, Prince of Brunei, 26 years old

It was the Brunei prince who was recognized as the most eligible bachelor in 2016, after Prince Harry began dating Meghan Markle. Prince Mateen is the fourth son of Brunei's ruler Hassanal Bolkiah, whose fortune is estimated at $20 billion.

In 2011, the prince graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the same as Princes William, Harry and Hussein bin al-Abdallah, with the rank of second lieutenant. He then received a Master's degree in International Studies and Diplomacy in London.

The prince loves wild animals - there are many photos of tigers and leopards on his Instagram. He enjoys playing polo, boxing, diving and skiing.

Prince Albert of Thurn and Taxis, Germany, 34 years old

One of the richest people in Germany, a man who has regularly appeared on Forbes lists since the age of 8 - after the death of his father, he inherited beer factories, mills and forest lands with an area of ​​more than 30,000 hectares. As of 2014, his fortune was estimated at $3.8 billion. Albert graduated from the University of Edinburgh, where he studied economics and theology. Loves racing cars and beer. Lives in the palace with his mother and sisters.

Prince Joachim, Belgium, 25 years old

Prince Joachim is the 9th contender to the Belgian throne. The guy graduated from Malvern College in the UK, studied at the Naval School in Bruges and has since been listed as an officer in the Belgian fleet. He continues to receive education - he studies international economics and finance at Bocconi University in Milan. Joachim was inferior in popularity to his older brother Amadeo, but began to be mentioned noticeably more often in the press after he got married.

Sebastian of Luxembourg, 25 years old

Photo: euromag.ru

Sebastien Henri Marie Guillaume is fifth in line to the throne of Luxembourg. He graduated from the International School of Luxembourg in 2011 and is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in marketing and communications at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in
USA. Speaks fluent Luxembourgish, English, German and French, and understands Spanish quite well. He enjoys rugby, swimming, mountaineering and skiing.

Which prince do you like best? Let's vote!

Celebrations in honor of the 50th anniversary of the reign of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah have ended in Brunei. After the death of the King of Thailand, he became the longest reigning absolute monarch in the world. His subjects, grateful for all kinds of social benefits, dote on their beloved Sultan. For them, he planned to introduce Sharia laws - although, apparently, he himself does not comply with these laws: he recklessly pursues women and wastes his life, wasting billions of government dollars on palaces, luxury cars and sex parties with minors from his harem. talks about the most controversial monarch of our time.

Playmakers

“With money like that of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his brother Jeffrey, all the diseases in this world could be cured. The only problem is that they both don’t care about other people,” one of those close to the royal family once told Fortune business magazine.

The whole world learned in what luxury the monarch and his relatives are drowning in 2011, when Vanity Fair magazine published a scandalous article about a high-ranking playmaker. So the subjects, who, under threat of imprisonment, are forbidden to discuss what the monarch spends money on from the budget, learned: in the Sultan’s palace there are more than 1.7 thousand rooms, 257 bathrooms, five swimming pools, a mosque, a banquet hall for five thousand people and a garage for 110 cars .

But that's not all. The family also owns the luxury hotel chain The Dorchester Hotel, 17 aircraft, 9 thousand cars, 150 houses in 12 countries and much more.

Oil flows like a river, girls dance on tables

It would seem that with such fabulous wealth one can talk about a cloudless life in the sultanate. Everything was going in Bolkiah’s favor: in 2012, he reported that oil and gas-rich Brunei, comfortably located in the north-west of the island of Borneo, was among the five richest countries in the world. The state has been exporting oil since the 1970s (today, about 90 percent of the budget comes from the sale of black gold). That's when I came there. Brunei was even jokingly nicknamed the Shellfare state (“welfare state at the expense of Shell,” by analogy with the welfare state).

While the country grew richer, the Sultan and his relatives did not forget about themselves: receiving their share of the income, the monarch and his relatives became one of the richest families in the world. His Majesty's subjects do not know what political parties, the opposition, elections and independent media are, but they do not pay income tax, the country has free education and free medicine, high pensions and low interest rates when buying houses and cars on credit.

At his 50th birthday party, the Sultan invited him to sing for $17 million, writes The New York Post. He turned his personal plane into a palace, decorated with gold and encrusted with precious stones. And he spent a total of $17 billion on gifts to family and friends. In particular, for his daughter’s birthday, the Sultan presented an Airbus A340 for 100 million. And his brother Jeffrey, for example, spent an average of 747 thousand dollars a day on everyday expenses over the course of 10 years.

The Sultan's sexual exploits are legendary. The Bruneians themselves live in ignorance, but the whole world has long known that Bolkiah, together with his younger brother, have created harems of dozens of underage girls and involve them in monstrous hours-long orgies. This was first discussed in 1997: then Miss America 92 Shannon Marketik filed a lawsuit against the Sultan and his younger brother Jeffrey, who received the nickname “the main playboy of the planet.”

Shannon was promised a job in Brunei with a salary of three thousand dollars a day. Instead, the US citizen was turned into a sex slave, forced to dance at private parties from 10 pm to 3 am. She was drugged and then treated like a prostitute. The American woman demanded $10 million in compensation “for mental distress, nightmares, insomnia and other injuries.” However, the matter was quickly hushed up: the Sultan called such accusations “a crime worse than murder,” and the brothers themselves did not answer to the law, citing diplomatic immunity.

This incident might have been forgotten by everyone, but another American, Gillian Lauren, published the book Some Girls: My Life in a Harem in 2010. She, however, talked about life in Jefri’s harem, but she, one of the main favorites, was also once entrusted with pleasing the Sultan himself.

The Sultan celebrated the weddings of his children on a grand scale. In the photo - the monarch with his son Abdul Malik and his wife.

Lauren explains that upon arrival in Brunei, the girls, who will later be sent to the harem, have their passports taken away. They are not allowed to go out much, they are constantly watched, forced to sit on a strict diet. All the girls in the harem receive from two thousand dollars a week. They are mainly hired on a three-week contract, sometimes extended for several years. Many admit that having earned so much money, they simply do not want to leave there.

Most of the girls in the harem are Thai or Filipino and are 14 years old. Nights on end, according to Lauren, passed in some kind of frenzy: expensive alcohol flowed like a river, girls danced on tables for the prince and his friends in the palace or on a 46-meter yacht called “Tits”, and everyone hoped for that the prince will choose her alone or in company with other girls for the night. This is a chance to become the favorite, and the favorites are showered with money and jewelry. Those who are not selected during the night may be taken to Prince Jefri's office in the middle of the working day.

According to Lauren, Jeffrey, who asked to be called Robin in the American manner, was a fan of everything connected with the USA: cars, clothes, pop culture. “He would open any magazine and point at a photograph of a woman he liked, saying, ‘I want this one or that one,’ and then order them,” recalls Lauren.

Subsequently, the Sultan’s brother, who so recklessly squandered money on all kinds of pleasures, had to answer for the embezzlement of the treasury. Hassanal Bolkiah was forced to appeal to the London court. The litigation lasted about 10 years, ending in favor of the Sultan. Jeffrey returned some of the money. Despite their differences, the brothers maintained good relations and continued to lead a wild life.

No money, but I'm a sultan

The “shared prosperity” faltered in 2014. Oil prices have fallen by half. Their third brother Mohamed had an extremely negative attitude towards the debauchery and wastefulness of the Sultan and Jefri. Assessing this, Bolkiah handed him a ministerial portfolio and set him the task of reforming the economy. Mohamed, without thinking twice, raked out another two billion dollars from the treasury for his own needs and was dismissed in disgrace.

The Sultan himself had to deal with the economy, taking the post of Prime Minister of Brunei, Ministers of Economy and Defense. He decided, firstly, to somewhat curb his appetites, and secondly, to seriously engage in diversification.

Thus, the Sultan actively encourages the development of private business, tries to make Brunei attractive to Tokyo and other financial capitals, and also attract tourists to the country. However, so far none of these attempts have been particularly successful. The situation is especially bad with foreign tourists. The lack of nightclubs and the ban on alcohol discourage travelers. Back in the late 90s, Australian writer Charles James described the sultanate as follows: “A more boring place than Brunei could only be a remote British village in the dead of winter.”

Santa hat for 15 thousand dollars

Against the background of problems in the economy, the Sultan, who had never been particularly pious, realized: if the loyalty of his subjects could no longer be retained with money, he could try to accustom them to modesty and fear of God. The country has set a course for Islamization. All children from Muslim families were required to receive religious education. Representatives of other faiths (30 percent of them in the Sultanate) also faced restrictions: they were prohibited from using the word “Allah” and discussing issues of faith.

In 2015, in the run-up to Christmas, Christians and Muslims were banned from wearing Santa Claus hats on the street. Violators were fined $15,000 or sent to prison for five years. By the way, the subjects themselves reacted with understanding to the introduction of such harsh laws, especially since the monarch explained: “Islam is a shield against globalization.”

Most Bruneians are not even aware that the Sultan and his family members violate most of these same laws. All media in the country are controlled by the monarch. At his command, one of them can be closed at any second. Only 60 percent of citizens have access to the Internet, but censorship is also rampant on the Internet. In 2013, independent journalists from Freedom House reported some inconvenient facts about the Sultan. The country called it “deceitful and vile,” and the reporters themselves were sentenced to three years in prison.

While Bolkiah's blissfully ignorant subjects learn the verses and verses of the Koran, and he himself has fun with underage girls, stability is flowing out of Brunei barrel by barrel. Experts predict that by 2035 the country's oil reserves may run out and the sultanate will go bankrupt overnight.