Malaysia's new king is a billionaire with a collection of 300 luxury cars, his own private army, and family ties to Hitler

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.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, was crowned the country's king on Wednesday in a ceremony attended by Malaysia's Prime Minister, cabinet members, and members of Malaysia's nine royal families.

He told the Singapore Straits Times last month that he is determined not to waste five years on the throne as a "puppet king."

He is already raising eyebrows with his displays of wealth and candid manner. A Bloomberg profile described the king as a "motorcycle-riding, Ferrari-driving, Instagram-savvy royal."

(King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (right) speaks with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) after the oath-taking ceremony. MOHD RASFAN)

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.

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 $5.7 billion. The publication cited the family's investments in private land, real-estate, and public and private companies.

Bloomberg said that Sultan Ibrahim owns just under a quarter of U Mobile, one of Malaysia's largest cellphone providers, in addition to $4 million worth of land in Singapore.

The Johor family is the only royal family in Malaysia to have a private army.

(A military band plays outside the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. HASNOOR HUSSAIN)

According to Bloomberg, the king has a collection of private jets and more than 300 luxury vintage cars, including one that belonged to Adolf Hitler. In a resurfaced 2013 interview posted to YouTube in 2017, Sultan Ibrahim said Hitler was a friend of his great-grandfather.

He added that Hitler's car was sent to England and then Malaysia before being given to his great-grandfather.

Ref: Malaysia's new king is a billionaire with a collection of 300 luxury cars, his own private army, and family ties to Hitler  
(businessinsider)

Photo Credit:  MOHD RASFAN, HASNOOR HUSSAIN /Pool/AFP via Getty Images