Faiq Jefri Bolkiah was born in Los Angeles surrounded by a luxury that seems straight out of a fairy tale: tigers as pets, hundreds of Rolls-Royces in the family garage and a palace with 1,888 rooms waiting for him in Brunei. He is the nephew of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his fortune, inherited from the crown, is estimated at around 20,000 million dollars. He did not earn any of it by scoring goals.
That is where the endearing part of his story lies: he could have chosen any life, and he chose to pursue football like any child with a ball. He came through the academies of Southampton and Chelsea, came close to Ranieri’s title-winning Leicester City, and today, at 27 years old, he plays for Thailand’s Ratchaburi FC. Nine matches and one goal in the Brunei shirt are the entirety of his honours.
While his surname is associated with excesses that are hard to imagine—white-gold watches, private safaris, monthly spending approaching 35 million dollars—Faiq is still there, training on modest pitches, without needing a single goal to feel fulfilled. Sometimes the greatest luxury is simply doing what you love.
