Who is Malaysia’s new king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar? The Johor royal is a ‘Ferrari-driving, Instagram-savvy’ billionaire who refuses to be a ‘puppet king’ – but what’s his connection to Adolf Hitler?
- The billionaire investor, who will rule for five years as part of the country’s rotating monarchy, owns a quarter of U Mobile and US$4 million worth of land in Singapore
- Described as a ‘motorcycle-riding, Ferrari-driving, Instagram-savvy royal’, the sultan’s wife is Oxford graduate and author Raja Zarith Sofiah – and his father was accused of murder
Malaysia has a new billionaire king who has his own army, a fleet of private jets, and 300 luxury cars – including one apparently gifted by Adolf Hitler.
The outspoken royal appears to want to make an impact in his role. He told the Singapore Straits Times last month that he is determined not to waste five years on the throne as a “puppet king”.
And he is already raising eyebrows. A Bloomberg profile of him describes the king as a “motorcycle-riding, Ferrari-driving, Instagram-savvy royal”.
Sultan Ibrahim – the 65-year-old head of the Johor royal family – will use the title His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the equivalent of king in Malaysia.
His election to the national throne was widely expected because Malaysia operates the world’s only rotating system of monarchy. Under the system, Malaysia’s nine hereditary rulers, known as “sultans”, rotate the role of head of state between them every five years, Reuters reported.
But the new monarch was considered one of the country’s most powerful and wealthiest people long before taking the new title.
According to Bloomberg, the Johor family is worth an estimated US$5.7 billion. The publication cited the family’s investments in private land, property and public and private companies.