King of Thailand’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What is the King of Thailand’s Net Worth?The King of Thailand, also known as Bhumibol Adulyadej and Rama IX, was the monarch of Thailand from 1946 to 2016. At the time of his death, he had a net worth of $30 billion. That likely made him the richest royal person on the planet in terms of physical real assets controlled by one person, as opposed to intrinsic assets like how Queen Elizabeth technically owns all British land around the world.During his life, Adulyadej was the longest-reigning monarch in Thailand’s history and the longest-serving current monarch/head of state in the world. He reigned 70 consecutive years after being crowned on June 9, 1946. He is the ninth consecutive monarch in the Chakri Dynasty, which dates back to 1782. As a ruler, Bhumibol earned praise for a social-economic theory of self-sufficiency, and he gave numerous donations to various projects in Thailand, in areas including agriculture, environment, public health, occupational promotion, water resources, communications, and public welfare. The King of Thailand is respected and revered on nearly God-like levels by the Thai people, and he is legally considered “inviolable” (i.e., an offense against the dignity of the monarch may be punished).Bhumibol’s $30 billion net worth came from a wide variety of lucrative business interests. First, through the Crown Property Bureau (CPB). Adulyadej owned 3300 acres of real estate in central Bangkok as well as 13,200 acres of country land and property. Next, the King owned a 32% stake in Siam Cement; this stake alone is worth an estimated $13 billion. He also owned 23% of Siam Commercial Bank (the largest bank in Thailand) as well as stakes in an insurance company, the Shin Corporation – a conglomerate of telecommunication, media, aviation, advertising and finance companies.? Compare King of Thailand’s Net WorthEarly LifeBhumibol Adulyadej was born on December 5, 1927, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, due to his father’s enrollment in Harvard University’s public health program. “Baby Songkla” is the name on his birth certificate, but after his parents, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej (the Prince of Songkla) and Mom Sangwan (who was later known as Princess Srinagarindra), consulted Adulyadej’s uncle, King Rama VII, the family decided on Bhumibol Adulyadej, which means “Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power” in Thai. Bhumibol grew up in Thailand with older sister Princess Galyani Vadhana and older brother Prince Ananda Mahidol, and their father passed away from kidney failure in 1929.Adulyadej briefly studied at Bangkok’s Mater Dei school, but his mother moved the family to Switzerland in 1933, and there he attended the École nouvelle de la Suisse romande. When King Rama VII abdicated the throne, Ananda Mahidol became king at the age of 9. The family kept living in Switzerland and let a regency council handle Ananda’s royal duties. Bhumibol became interested in photography and jazz music during his youth and began playing saxophone in the early 1940s. He graduated from the Gymnase Classique Cantonal de Lausanne with a baccalauréat des lettres (majoring in French literature, Greek, and Latin), and he studied science at the University of Lausanne until the family moved back to Thailand after World War II.CareerAfter King Ananda Mahidol died of a gunshot wound (under mysterious circumstances) on June 9, 1946, Adulyadej succeeded him, but before he ascended the throne, he resumed his studies in Switzerland, changing his focus from science to law and political science. Bhumibol’s uncle Rangsit, the Prince of Chainat, acted as his regent. Adulyadej’s coronation was postponed after he was injured in a car accident in October 1948, suffering back injuries, facial paralysis, and the loss of sight in his right eye. He was coronated on May 5, 1950, and promised to “reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people.” Bhumibol returned to Switzerland to finish his studies, then moved back to Thailand in 1951. He didn’t have much power during the first years of his reign due to the government of Plaek Phibunsongkhram, a military dictator, but in 1957, Phibunsongkhram was overthrown by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat and the Royal Thai Army. Adulyadej imposed martial law and appointed Sarit Thanarat “Military Defender of the Capital.”After Thanarat’s death in 1963, General Thanom Kittikachorn led Thailand’s military dictatorship, but he was challenged by the Thai popular uprising in 1973. After police killed several students and riots ensued, Bhumibol announced Kittikachorn’s resignation, and the general left Thailand. When Adulyadej invited Kittikachorn back into Thailand, students and legal groups were outraged and began holding protests, leading to the Thammasat University massacre on October 6, 1976. Police and paramilitary opened fire on campus, and Border Patrol Police commandos later stormed the university grounds, followed by police and right-wing paramilitaries. The official death count was 46 (and 167 wounded), but unofficial reports estimated that at least 100 demonstrators lost their lives that day. In 1992, Bhumibol was instrumental in transitioning Thailand to a democratic system after intervening in a conflict between General Suchinda Kraprayoon (the leader of a coup group) and Chamlong Srimuang (a retired Major General who led the pro-democracy movement). Kraprayoon soon resigned, and a general election was later held.Personal LifeBhumibol married Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara, the daughter of Thai ambassador Nakkhatra Mangala, on April 28, 1950, and they had four children together: Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya (born in April 1951), King Maha Vajiralongkorn (born in July 1952), HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (born in April 1955), and HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak (born in July 1957). Besides being King of Thailand, Adulyadej was also an author, painter, photographer, musician, and translator. He published the books “Phra Mahachanok” and “The Story of Thong Daeng,” and he played saxophone, trumpet, piano, guitar, and clarinet. Bhumibol began composing his own music by his 18th birthday, and he performed with artists such as Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Benny Carter, and Stan Getz. He wrote nearly 50 compositions during his life, including “Candlelight Blues,” “Falling Rain,” and Love at Sundown,” and the Yale School of Music honored him with a Sanford Medal in 2000. Adulyadej also enjoyed sailing as well as designing and building boats, and he competed in the Fourth Southeast Asian Peninsular Games in 1967, winning a gold medal for sailing.Health Issues and DeathAdulyadej was diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis in 1995, and in 2006, he underwent a microsurgical decompression. In 2007, he ended up in the hospital due to a blood shortage to his brain; he was also treated for heart problems during his three-week stay. In 2009, Bhumibol was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and the flu, and in 2011, WikiLeaks revealed that he suffered from depression and Parkinson’s disease. In 2012, Adulyadej was treated for diverticulitis and minute subdural bleeding in his brain. On October 1, 2016, the palace announced that the King of Thailand was suffering from a blood infection, inflammation on his lung, and kidney failure. He was placed on a ventilator the following week, and he passed away at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital on October 13, 2016, at the age of 88. The next day, Bhumibol’s body was taken to the Grand Palace for a bathing rite, and a five-day cremation ceremony took place at the end of the month. His ashes were enshrined at the Wat Bowonniwet Vihara Royal Temple, the Chakri Maha Phasat Throne Hall, and the Royal Cemetery at Wat Ratchabophit. Adulyadej was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
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Muammar Gaddafi’s net worth, biography, fact, career, awards and life story

What was Muammar Gaddafi’s net worth?Muammar Gaddafi was a Libyan dictator who had a net worth of at least $70 billion at the peak of his life. Muammar Gaddafi was the longest serving ruler of Libya since the Ottoman Empire, and the longest non-royal ruler still living at the time of his death. His forty-two-year reign has been the subject of much controversy and internal unrest. In February 2011, political unrest within the country boiled over into full-scale violence, largely perpetrated by the military against civilian protesters.Gaddafi was forced out of office and onto the run from rebel forces. Both the United States government and NATO encouraged Gaddafi to turn himself in and liberate his country from continued violence. On October 20th, 2011, after several months on the run, Muammar Gaddafi was captured by rebel forces and executed.? Compare Muammar Gaddafi’s Net WorthWealthAt a certain point in his life, it is believed that Muammar Gaddafi possessed a net worth of $70 billion. If true, this would have made him one of the wealthiest people on the planet.Evidence is now pointing to Gaddafi having a vast hidden fortune of assets in bank accounts, real estate and investments around the world. His personal control over Libya’s vast oil fields are believed to be the primary contributor to his wealth.It’s possible that Gaddafi was worth as much as $200 billion at the time of his death. This would have made him the richest person on the planet — by a long shot.Early LifeIt is believed that Gaddafi was born Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi circa 1942 near Sirte, Italian Libya. He was born into a poor Bedouin family and he became an Arab nationalist while still attending school in Sabha. Later, he enrolled in the Royal Military Academy in Benghazi. While in the military, Gaddafi founded his own revolutionary group, a group which deposed the then Western-backed Senussi monarchy of Idris, which culminated in a coup that took place in 1969.Education/PoliticsGaddafi had a foundational education that was religious in nature and imparted by local Islamic educators.Gaddafi was a prolific scholar, progressing through six grades in just four years. In his school years, Gaddafi was often bullied and picked on due to his Bedouin roots. However, he remained proud of his heritage and unshakeable in his beliefs, inspiring pride in other Bedouin learners/children. Gaddafi was early friends with Abdessalam Jalloud, who would go on to become Prime Minister of Libya from 1972-1977.1969 CoupDuring the middle part of 1969, The Monarchy of Idris became vulnerable as Idris travelled abroad. Gaddafi and his Free Officers recognized this as a prime opportunity to overthrow this monarchy, which incited “Operation Jerusalem”.After removing the monarchical government, Gaddafi announced the foundation of a new Libyan Arab Republic.Economic Reform EffortsCrude oil was his country’s primary export at the time and Gaddafi was seeking ways to further enrich and improve Libya’s rich oil sector. His efforts led to a global increase in crude oil prices and measures he personally put in place ended up bringing Libya $1 billion in estimated additional oil revenues — just in the first year.Foreign RelationsGaddafi was vocal and especially critical of US support of Israel. He sided with Palestinians in Israeli–Palestinian conflicts and opposed the 1948 creation of the State of Israel, viewing this himself as Western colonial occupation influence that was forced upon the larger Arab world.Gaddafi believed that Palestinian violence that was performed against Israeli and Western targets was justified and the response of a deeply oppressed people fighting against colonization of the people’s sacred land.US ConflictsIn the early-to-mid 1980s there was a tremendously growing sense of economic trouble happening in Libya. The country’s annual oil revenues had dropped from $21 billion to $5.4 billion, and Gaddafi was dead set on focusing on irrigation projects that would counteract this deeply detrimental effect.In 1983 Libya commenced its largest (and most expensive) infrastructure project — the Great Man-Made River, which fell behind schedule and remained incomplete up to the start of the 21st century.In the early 80s, US President Ronald Reagan adopted a hardline approach when it came to Libya and claimed it to be a puppet regime of the Soviet Union, drawing on American fear of communism. As a response, Gaddafi played up his own relationship with the Soviet Union as well as threatened to join the Warsaw Pact. Soviets nevertheless were cautious of Gaddafi, many seeing him as an unpredictable extremist that being in cahoots with was undesirable at best. During the Spring season of 1986, the US Navy performed exercises and demonstrations located in the Gulf of Sirte. The Libyan military met this act with retaliation and the US responded by sinking several Libyan ships as a result.Gaddafi’s Link to AfricaWhen the 20th century came to an end; Gaddafi had grown increasingly frustrated from what he viewed as the failures of pan-Arab ideals. Gaddafi was beginning to reject his Arab nationalistic ideals and grew more and more in favor of pan-Africanism, which highlighted and celebrated Libya’s African identity.In June of 1999, Gaddafi would go on to visit Nelson Mandela in South Africa. The following month he attended the OAU summit which occurred in Algiers, where he called for stronger political (and economic) integration, further championing and advocating the establishment of a United States of Africa. At this point Gaddafi would become one of the founding members of the African Union (AU), which was established in July of 2002, replacing the OAU.DeathDuring the 2011 Arab Spring there were intense protests that occurred against what was believed to be widespread corruption, not to mention the fact that intense unemployment was running rampant throughout eastern Libya. Civil war came as a result. NATO saw it fit to intervene militarily, siding with the anti-Gaddafist NTC (National Transitional Council). As a result, the government in power was overthrown. In response, Gaddafi retreated to Sirte, where he would be captured and subsequently killed by NTC militants.
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