The World’s Largest Private Car Collection Boasts $8 Billion Fleet Of Ferraris, Aston Martins And Rolls-Royces
- Sultan of Brunei owns the world’s largest private car collection with 7,000 rare and luxury vehicles.
- He resides in a 2.15-million-square-foot palace adorned with 22-carat gold.
- The Sultan possesses an exclusive watch collection featuring unique Richard Mille timepieces worth millions.
For centuries, royalty has been synonymous with opulence — from sprawling palaces to precious gems. But as times changed, modern luxuries entered these royal collections: private jets, exotic cars, and timepieces so exclusive they’re reserved for billionaires and monarchs. Among the richest kings, there’s one who’s most famous for his wildly extravagant life: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei.
With unthinkable wealth and an unmatched passion for luxury, the Sultan isn’t just a monarch but the ultimate collector as well. From his palace, which is the largest private residence on the planet, to a garage filled with the rarest cars ever built, his treasure trove of luxury is truly one of a kind.
Forget Buckingham Palace or Versailles because Istana Nurul Iman, the Sultan’s official residence, makes these places look like guesthouses. The palace covers 2.15 million square feet and could swallow multiple football stadiums whole.
This architectural marvel is the largest royal home in the world with 1,800 rooms, five swimming pools, and a banquet hall big enough to host 5,000 guests; because why stop at dinner parties when you can easily host concerts in your dining room? The palace can easily be called a real-life Aladdin’s cave. And because excess is the name of the game, its golden domes are clad in 22-carat gold.
But here’s the thing — his palace is just the beginning. When it comes to collecting, the Sultan doesn’t do things halfway and has been building his collections since taking the throne in 1967.
The Sultan’s car collection will both amaze you and make your garage feel like a toy shelf. If car enthusiasts dream of owning a Ferrari or a Rolls-Royce, the Sultan dreams bigger — by about 7,000 cars. His private garage is home to the largest collection of luxury and rare automobiles in the world which are valued at an estimated $5 billion USD (~$8 billion AUD). To put that into perspective, if he decided to take each car out for a spin, it would take him nearly 20 years to drive them all.
Among his prized possessions are 450 Ferraris, 400 Bentleys and 600 Rolls-Royces including a custom gold-plated Rolls-Royce that was built specifically for royal parades. And then there are the unicorns: the Bentley Dominator, a one-off SUV designed exclusively for the Sultan before luxury SUVs were even a thing, a fleet of Aston Martins, including a Brunei-commissioned’ Special Series’ Vantage and the Bugatti EB110, one of the rarest hyper-cars of the ’90s.
If you’re lucky enough to get an invitation, you may find even more rare cars in the collection.
The Sultan’s obsession with mechanical artistry doesn’t stop at cars. His watch collection is just as mind-blowing as it features some of the rarest and most expensive timepieces on the planet.
As seen from his public appearances, his go-to brand is Richard Mille — the “billionaire’s secret handshake” in the world of haute horology.
Among the Sultan’s standout pieces are the sapphire-cased Richard Mille RM56-02, valued at $2.2 million USD (~$3.5 million AUD), the RM 56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire which is one of only five ever created and has a price tag of $2 million USD (~$3.15 million AUd), an olive green Patek Philippe Nautilus worth a $300,000 and various Rolex and Audemars Piguet watches, because what’s a billionaire’s collection without them?
As if this weren’t enough, the Sultan maintains a private zoo reportedly housing 30 Bengal tigers, among other exotic animals, complemented by a fleet of private jets.
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