NEW YORK, Aug 21: With a fortune estimated at $35 billion, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world’s richest royal sovereign, and oil-rich Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi is No. 2 with $23 billion, Forbes magazine reported on Thursday.

King Bhumibol, 80 and, at 62 years on the throne the world’s longest-serving head of state, pushed to the top of the richest royals list by virtue a greater transparency surrounding his fortune, Forbes said.

It said that the Crown Property Bureau, which manages most of his family’s wealth, “granted unprecedented access this year, revealing vast landholdings, including 3,493 acres in Bangkok.”—AFP