The Sultan of Brunei’s Cars vs. The Emir of Dubai’s Horses: Which Royal Mode of Transport Reigns Supreme?
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Next time you’re behind the wheel in Bandar Seri Begawan, be sure to check out the driver in the rearview: The sultan of Brunei has the world’s largest and most valuable car collection, and it’s anyone’s guess where and when he’s on the road with them. Over in Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum prefers fast things of the four-legged variety; he owns Godolphin Racing, the world’s largest group of racehorses. Which will you be inspired to start building—more garages or more stables?
STARRING IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF HOARDERS More from Robb Report
Hassanal Bolkiah The 29th sultan of Brunei and currently the world’s longest-reigning monarch. By law, he’s infallible: If he says it’s a stick shift, it’s a stick shift (even if it’s clearly not a stick shift). | STARRING IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF HOARDERS Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum The vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and sovereign of Dubai. He’s also an absolute ruler, so if he says it’s a horse, it’s a horse (though, yeah, it’s probably a horse). |
THE COLLECTION 7,000 cars rumored to be worth over $5 billion. You could drive a different one every day for 19 years and still not find yourself back in the one where you left your sunglasses. | THE COLLECTION 1,000 animals located on four continents and valued at an estimated $639 million. You could fall off a different horse every hour for 41 days before realizing you’re not very good at this. |
MVP Ferrari 250 GTO Only 36 examples were made between 1962 and 1964, and one sold for $70 million at auction in 2018.  Peter Gadsby | MVP Anamoe Born in 2018, this Thoroughbred scored 14 wins and over $8 million in prize money. He now lives on a stud farm in Australia.  Jeremy Ng/Getty Images |
HOW THEY FUND IT The boss’s net worth is reportedly upwards of $28 billion, thanks to profits from Brunei’s oil and gas industry. And the whole infallible-monarch thing. | HOW THEY FUND IT Reports on the sheikh’s holdings vary from $4 billion to $18 billion, but his main source of wealth is the Investment Corporation of Dubai, the government’s primary financing arm. |
WHAT GOES IN… Filling every tank (recommended for cars in storage) requires 4,000 barrels of oil—just over 3 percent of Brunei’s daily output.  Vlad Kochelaevskiy/stock Adobe | WHAT GOES IN… Feeding 1,000 racehorses takes over 5 million pounds of food per year. And that’s the good news…  Ivaschenko Roman |
… MUST COME OUT Luxury cars tend to produce higher-than-average CO2 emissions—though the sultan can drive only one at a time. | … MUST COME OUT The average horse produces between 6 and 10 tons of manure a year. No matter what. |
NAME TO INSPIRE FEAR IN YOUR ENEMIES The Bentley Dominator You thought your big rear wing was a cool customization? In the 1990s, the sultan reportedly had the company that didn’t make SUVs make him an SUV.  | NAME TO INSPIRE FEAR IN YOUR ENEMIES Electrocutionist A Thoroughbred racehorse who won 8 of his 12 starts and over $5.6 million in prizes.  Scott Barbour/Getty Images |
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS Holds the Guinness World Record for largest private collection of Rolls-Royces, with over 500 of them.  Pool Interagences//Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images |
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS In 2021 and 2022, Godolphin shattered the North American record for highest-earning owner, with $17,378,674 and $16,343,067, respectively. |
TRADING PLACES His palace stables have space for 200 horses, plus air-conditioning. | TRADING PLACES In 2015, the sheikh broke ground on a six-story garage in central London with room for over 100 cars—consider it his garage-away-from-garage. |
BEST UPGRADE The sultan’s custom Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II stretch limousine is plated with 24-karat gold, making it worth an estimated $14 million. | BEST UPGRADE A faster horse.  Lo Chun Kit/Getty Images |
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