Like Prince Emanuele Filiberto, who is trying to reclaim Italy’s crown jewels , William Rudolf Lobkowicz is doing everything in his power to preserve his noble family’s cultural and historical heritage in the Czech Republic. In his case, “the other” Prince William has joined the blockchain phenomenon and auctioned a slew of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in hopes that they will help support the upkeep of the family’s artwork collection and ancestral castle. My father sometimes says we are the richest poor people in the world Prince William Rudolf Lobkowicz My father sometimes says we are the richest poor people in the world If that made your ears perk up like ours, here’s what else we know about this tech-savvy 27-year-old royal. He was raised at home in the Czech Republic Born in 1994, William Rudolf Lobkowicz is the eldest child of an American mum and Czech dad. His father William E. Lobkowicz hails from a 600-year-old Bohemian noble family that once sponsored Ludwig van Beethoven. Why will Camilla be queen when Prince Philip wasn’t a king? The House of Lobkowicz lost its castles and artworks – including 16th and 17th century paintings from Pieter Bruegel and Diego Velázquez – to the Nazis and communists and only reclaimed them in the 1990s, after the fall of the USSR. Since then, Lobkowicz’s family has returned from exile to the Czech Republic, where he has grown up and taken a role in the family estate. He studied history at Harvard University A legacy student, Lobkowicz followed in the footsteps of his dad and also studied at America’s prestigious Harvard University. He took up a bachelor’s degree in Central European history but also dabbled in numerous extracurricular activities. Lobkowicz was a member of the Harvard Art Museums’ student board and MVP of Harvard’s polo team. The young Czech prince also served as the secretary general for Harvard National Model United Nations, Latin America. What happened to Dubai’s ‘runaway princess’, Sheikha Latifa? He sees NFTs as the new frontier According to Boston Magazine , although the Lobkowicz family regained their real estate and artworks, they can neither be sold without the government’s permission nor leave the country. The Czech royals have been financing the preservation and restoration through tourism and events, but that has become a challenge since the pandemic. As the director of digital media and innovation, Lobkowicz is now banking on the popularity of the NFT. He started auctioning non-fungible tokens at the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague in 2021. (1/17) Could NFTs help a museum or cultural institution preserve cultural heritage? A (personal) thread: — William R. Lobkowicz (@WRLobkowicz) September 20, 2021 “NFTs can potentially offer cultural institutions a new patronage model,” Lobkowicz told CoinDesk on the 21st-century version of a proof of ownership. “By investing in an NFT, a patron receives ownership of a unique digital asset, while also directly supporting conservation efforts or other important cultural initiatives.” He pretty much lives a “normal” life “ My father sometimes says we are the richest poor people in the world,” Lobkowicz said in a 2021 interview with Bloomberg . Despite his royal title and their assets, the Czech prince still takes a tram to work every morning. He also had to experience selling ice cream and even giving castle tours on his way up the family’s corporate ladder. Meet India Hicks, Prince Charles’ cousin and Princess Diana’s bridesmaid He was featured in Forbes’ influential “30 Under 30” list When asked by Forbes who inspires him in his career, the 27-year-old prince named the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. “[He] did not become bitter even after years of imprisonment and did not only want revenge. On the contrary, he kept striving to move things forward and retained his positive determination,” Lobkowicz explained. Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .