Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have already reached billionaire status, but the superstar duo don't hold a candle to 28-year-old Faiq Bolkiah
Faiq Bolkiah, 28, is worth £15.7bn via Brunei royal inheritance—7x more than Ronaldo and Messi combined—yet has achieved minimal success as a professional footballer. His career exposes how inherited capital insulates from competitive pressure, flagging inefficiencies in talent markets where wealth substitutes for execution merit.
World's richest footballer worth £13bn more than Messi and Ronaldo isn't even at World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have already reached billionaire status, but the superstar duo don't hold a candle to 28-year-old Faiq Bolkiah
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Joe Krishnan Sports Writer
03:00, 20 Jun 2026
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