What do you give the world's richest man for his birthday?
Prince Charles gave a walking stick and an ornamental silver box. Michael Jackson is giving a concert.The two are among the dozens of VIPs who have flown in from around the world for Brunei's most lavish party - the birthday bash of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who turned 50 Monday.
The sultan has hired a London production company to make a wide-screen, state-of-the art digital home video of his party. Editing suites have been set up at the palace for the team of cameramen, editors and producers.
The 15-day celebration began today with an hour-long military parade in a stadium in the center of the town. In attendance were government officials, diplomats and the sultan's overseas guests, including the British prince.
Dressed in a medal-covered white jacket and dark trousers, the sultan arrived in a black Rolls Royce. Cannons boomed.
The sultan greeted Prince Charles with a grin. Jackson wasn't seen.
After the ceremony, Charles flew into the depths of Borneo's rain forests in one of the sultan's private helicopters to visit a nature project.
Jackson, said to be the sultan's favorite pop star, came to Brunei on a chartered flight Saturday to perform at a public concert on Tuesday. Fans won't have to pay to hear Jackson - the sultan is picking up the undisclosed tab. Some 30,000 people are expected to attend.
Jackson's concert will officially inaugurate a multibillion-dollar amusement park, built by the sultan as a gift to his 200,000 subjects and tourists. Entrance to the park and rides are free.
The sultan can afford to be generous.
One of the world's few absolute monarchs, Hassanal presides over this tiny Borneo Island sultanate's vast oil income and foreign currency reserves, estimated at more than $37 billion. Microsoft's Bill Gates, the world's richest private citizen, has an estimated fortune of only $18 billion.
The sultan earns $100 a second from investments and oil earnings, which amounts to $2 billion a year.
Prince Charles, leaving behind a divorce settlement, arrived on Sunday and was driven to the 1,778-room Istana Nurul Iman palace on the banks of the Brunei River for an audience with the sultan.