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World’s Most Expensive Private Jet Is the “Floating Palace,” a Gold-Plated Boeing 747-400

Not everyone was lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Some drank oil instead of milk in their feeding bottle.
The Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of Brunei 13 photos
Photo: Pinterest / Foreigner
The Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of BruneiThe Boeing 747-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of Brunei
The Sultan of Brunei is one such fortunate case. Once the richest man in the world (he held onto that title until the early ‘80s), he remains one of the most eccentric one-percenters out there, and his eccentricity is probably doubled by the fact that he is the second-longest reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II, as well as one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchs.

The Sultan of Brunei is believed to be worth anything between $20 billion to $40 billion, and he spends a big chunk of that oil-produced money on indulgences, mostly of the motorized kind. He owns the world’s largest private car collection, counting over 7,000 items, the biggest Rolls-Royce collection in the world, and the world’s most expensive royal car, which also happens to be a Rolls-Royce – the Silver Spur II he decked in 24-karat gold for his wedding day. He owns an entire fleet of wide-bodied jumbo jets, and the most expensive private jet in the world. He owns the world’s largest family residence in the world, though that title has been disputed.

Everything about the Sultan is record-breaking, down to his real name, which could be running for the world’s longest: Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam. Try reading that aloud fast. The Sultan reigns under Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III, and he’s been on the throne for 55 years.

The Boeing 747\-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of Brunei
Photo: Pinterest / Foreigner
We could go on, but the bottom line is that “opulence” was probably invented in reference to the Sultan. A good example of that is the “Floating Palace,” the custom Boeing 747-400 he got a little over a decade ago, which remains unmatched in terms of cost and sheer outrageousness.

A new Boeing 747-400 is around $260 million today, but the Sultan reportedly paid between $100 million and $400 million for his when he bought it, depending on which report you believe. To this, he added another $120 million to customize it, which basically meant dressing everything up in gold plating, Lalique crystal, hardwood and custom carpets.

Since this is the private jet of a government official, not many specifics about it were made public. But those that were released paint a very clear picture: the jet is worthy of the name, offering incredible comfort and luxury to the Sultan and a large entourage. It has everything from a remote-controlled private office to a master bedroom with ensuite bathrooms, a formal dining room with custom tableware and glasses with removable sterling silver base, a conference room, and various lounge-like areas.

There must be something about dictators and absolute rulers of other denominations that makes them believe their poop is too valuable to go down a basic porcelain toilet bowl. A rose by any other name would be as sweet, Shakespeare believed, but only gold will do in this case. The same applies for the Sultan, so the bathrooms on his “Floating Palace” are either solid gold or gold plated, down to the fixtures and the washbasins.

The Boeing 747\-400 known as the Floating Palace, owned by the Sultan of Brunei
Photo: Instagram / @sultanbrunei46
Considering that the 747-400, which is an updated variant of the Boeing 747, can seat up to 416 passengers in a three-class layout, let’s just say that the Sultan has a piece of flying real estate. And it’s just one of his many aircraft, albeit the crown jewel: the Sultan also owns a Boeing 767-200, an Airbus A340-200, and at least two Sikorsky helicopters.

The 747-400 is said to be his favorite to pilot when he’s flying overseas. He does a lot of international flying, and this “Floating Palace” is perfect for long hauls. A standard 747-400 has a range of 13,450 km (7,262 nautical miles), but his has additional fuel tanks, so it can easily top 15,000 km (8,100 km).

The video below shows the “Floating Palace” landing at the airport after a short test flight. It’s the closest any of us porcelain-toilet-bowl-pooping mortals will ever get to it.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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