Ex-Arsenal star is worth mega £10billion - only half of the world's richest footballer
Ex-Arsenal star Matthieu Flamini has amassed a massive £10bn fortune through the biochemicals company he set up during his playing days - but he's far from the world's richest footballer
Former Arsenal star Mathieu Flamini might have a net worth of over £10billion but he's a mere peasant compared to the world's richest footballer, Faiq Bolkiah.
The 24-year-old is the sport's sole professional member of a royal family in that he's the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, and has an estimated net worth of around £20bn, though some speculate the figure is a lot higher.
Despite his mega wealth, Bolkiah decided to pursue a career in football and after being sent to England for his education by father Jefri, he joined Southampton's academy.
READ MORE: Ex-Arsenal star is now worth cool £10bn - and hasn't ruled out owning the Gunners
Sadly, he didn't quite make the cut on the south coast, and things looked bleak when trials with Arsenal and Reading didn't work out either. But in 2014 he managed to secure a two-year deal with Chelsea - who had taken a liking to him when he faced them for the Saints.
He joined an U16s side which included the likes of Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori, and stiff competition for places left him starving for minutes and he moved on again in 2015. He then joined Leicester's academy, where he remained for the next three years, but after failing to secure a professional contract he decided to quit the club and join Portuguese outfit Maritimo.
These days, Bolkiah plies his trade in Thailand with top division side Chonburi. He's also made a handful of appearances for Brunei, scoring one goal.
Which current Premier League star do you think has a chance of becoming a billionaire entrepreneur like Flamini? Let us know in the comments section below.
Flamini, meanwhile, made his fortune in business having co-founded GF Biochemicals - whose aim is to find green alternatives to damaging petrochemicals found in plastics, rubber and even shower gel - in 2008 while playing for the Gunners.
The Frenchman still has a 60% stake in the company and is now its CEO. A few years ago he was asked if he would be interested in buying a football club such as Arsenal - given that he has more than enough in the bank to do so - and provided an interesting answer.
He said: "Obviously, those clubs [Arsenal and Marseille] have a special place in my heart. I never forget where I come from. In life, you never know but it’s all about the right opportunity.
"I’m a real believer in the right time, right place, right people. We’ll see what the future is made of. I’m a believer. If you want something very much, the universe usually brings it to you. Let’s see what the universe will bring."
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