Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates are considered to be the richest individuals in the world. However, none of them can compete with the palace of a Muslim monarch, which is recognized as the world’s largest residence in terms of its size.
This is the palace of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, which holds the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest palace in the world.
This palace is located in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, situated along the banks of the Brunei River, just a few miles south of the capital. While the walls of the palace are painted in white, its golden domes and minarets draw attention from afar.
The dome is made of 22-carat gold, and it serves as the residence of Sultan’s family, which was completed in 1984.
The design was created by Khuan Chew, while the architecture was overseen by Leandro Locsin. An estimated $1.4 billion was spent on the construction of this palace.
Spread over an area of 2,152,782 square feet (approximately 200,000 square meters), the palace consists of 1,788 rooms and more than 257 bathrooms. Its banquet hall is so large that it can accommodate over 5,000 guests at a time.
Additionally, the palace’s garage can house 110 cars, and it features five large swimming pools. The palace also includes air-conditioned stables for horses, a grand mosque, and 18 elevators.
Inside the palace’s structure, there are 564 chandeliers, and for just three days a year (during Eid al-Fitr), common people are allowed inside.
It is believed that the palace is valued at around $2.55 billion, although this is an unverified estimate. Sultan of Brunei’s palace is not only the world’s largest but also home to a jaw-dropping collection of cars.
The world’s largest collection of Rolls-Royce cars is owned by Sultan of Brunei, a record recognized by Guinness World Records in 2011.
It is estimated that the total value of Sultan of Brunei’s car collection ranges from $3 to $4 billion.
