Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the founder and chairman of the Saudi conglomerate Kingdom Holding Company, is a wealthy man worth nearly $16.5 billion. The grandson of Saudi Arabia’s first king, Abdulaziz, is one of the world’s wealthiest people and the most visible member of the Saudi royal family. He is also a self-proclaimed “calorie counter” obsessed with fitness and fortune. With significant holdings in hotels, real estate, and equities, the world is his oyster, and a costly one at that! The 68-year-old tycoon may not be grinning with a crown on his head, but he truly has it all. The Menlo College in California graduate aptly refers to himself as the Warren Buffett of Arabia, having lived in opulent palaces, travelled in palatial private jets, and owned everything extravagant.
The formative years of a modern Saudi Arabian prince-After earning a master’s degree in social science with honours from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 1985, Prince Al Waleed returned to Saudi Arabia during the oil boom. Despite his royal ancestry, it was not a bed of roses, nor did he achieve success with the press of a button. Al Waleed, 25, founded Kingdom Establishment in a small four-room cabin in Riyadh with $30,000 in start-up funds provided by his father.
In 1982, he collaborated with a South Korean construction company on a $8 million job to build a bachelors’ club at a military academy near Riyadh. “I used to put all of the money I made from this construction back into real estate and the stock market.” In the years that followed, he focused on established brands in distress, and by 1989, his net worth had risen to $1.4 billion.
Investments that made Al Waleed a $16.2 billion man-Al Waleed has always preferred high-growth, high-risk businesses, which explains his early 1990s investments in Canary Wharf, Four Seasons Hotel Group, and News Corporation. Everyone is aware of his holdings in Citibank, Apple, TimeWarner, Motorola, 360buy, AOL, eBay, Euro Disney, and that he is the second largest shareholder in Twitter (Kingdom Holding has invested $3.4 billion in global equities and depositary receipts since 2020).
Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store in New York City. Saks Fifth Avenue is pictured.
It is less well-known that Al Waleed purchased a 10% stake in Saks Fifth Avenue for $100 million two decades ago, resulting in the opening of a flagship store in Riyadh.
The Plaza is one of the most iconic properties in the world, not just in New York.
Al Waleed is particularly fond of his extensive collection of luxury hotels, according to Vanity Fair. He also owns the Savoy in London and the Plaza in New York, in addition to the George V. Bill Gates is a co-owner of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company.
Evan Spiegel and Prince Al Waleed.
Al Waleed owns a 10% stake in Euro Disney S.C.A, which owns Disneyland Paris, as well as a significant stake in Fairmont Raffles Holdings International, which owns 130 properties in 27 countries. Still, it wouldn’t be wrong to say he lives in palaces so opulent that the hotel empire pales in comparison.
The image was used to represent something.
This uncrowned prince owns three stunning palaces- You have at least three palaces when you are as regal as the grandson of Saudi Arabia’s first king. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s cousin resides in a 435-room palace in central Riyadh. Kingdom Palace, a $130 million sand-colored structure, is aptly named. It is adorned with 1,500 tonnes of Italian marble and 250 televisions (though half of the rooms remain without television).
Four palace kitchens with well-trained staff can prepare delicacies for 2000 people in Arabic, Continental, and Asian cuisines in an hour. The palatial home of Kingdom Holding Co.’s founder features a lagoon-shaped pool and a 45-seat basement cinema.
Kingdom Resort, a 500,000-square-foot complex in central Riyadh, is the second palace. This luxurious property’s highlight is not one, but three lakes interspersed with gardens. The Kingdom Oasis, which is currently under construction, will be smaller than its predecessors but will be incredibly impressive, spanning 4,000,000 square feet and featuring an expansive 17-acre lake and a private zoo.
Aside from palaces, the Arab billionaire planned a residential development on 4,000 acres of land on Riyadh’s outskirts. With a $10 billion budget, this development would include the tycoon’s Kingdom Tower. It was planned to be taller than four Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other, with a total height of 3,281 feet. If completed, the stalled project, now known as Jeddah Tower, would have been the tallest structure in the world.
He cruises the high seas in style aboard a $325 million yacht. 5KR Kingdom-The Arabian Warren Buffet, who does not believe in the less is more philosophy, does not let extravagance leave the room, whether in his Riyadh palace or on the sea. The lavish 1980 Classic Yacht Kingdom 5KR is a 282-foot luxury yacht named after the investment firm Kingdom Holdings, his lucky number 5, and the initials of two of his children. The luxury vessel, purchased from Donald Trump, accommodated 22 guests in 11 staterooms and was serviced by 31 crew members.
Luigi Sturchio designed the lush walls, which are panelled with chamois leather and bird’s-eye maple. The bathrooms were magnificent, with gold and onyx accents. The stunning vessel has a saloon, office, sauna and three lifts to access various areas. The ship also has a helideck, a cinema, and an 800-film library.
The yacht truly befits a sheikh. Screen capture from YouTube.
Add to that a well-equipped hospital with an operating room to ensure the royal’s health is never jeopardised. Al-Waleed and his crew would be well-fed and cared for if they were ever stranded, as six massive refrigerators carry a three-month food supply for 100 people. Is there anything more secure than being with a prince?
He travels with a massive entourage- With a 26-member posse, it is not the largest entourage in the world, but it is certainly eye-catching! This entourage not only goes on yachts, events, and vacations, but also to communal dinners. A private physician, an assistant manager of his palaces, a private assistant, an executive assistant, a personal affairs manager, two personal affairs assistants, a protocol department manager, and a travel and external affairs manager are among those on the list.
The list continues with the Princess’s private affairs manager, beautician, athletic trainer, two security details, associate head of the Audio-Visual Department, the Prince’s hairdresser, and two companions.
The tycoon travels in an opulent Boeing 747- If wealth were a person, it would live in Saudi Arabia and be known as Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. Among his many breathtaking possessions is a “Flying Palace,” a private jet so lavishly designed that it would put 5-star hotels to shame.
Even billionaires have king-sized beds, private bathrooms, and showers in their master suites. But how many can boast a full-service dining room and kitchen capable of serving gourmet meals at 40,000 feet?
A dedicated prayer area on the Boeing 747 is equipped with an electronic system that always points towards Mecca.
Prince Al Waleed signs a contract for an Airbus A380.
Such extravagance was not enough for the Saudi businessman, who booked a 239-foot-long aircraft for $320 million in 2007. Imagine his wealth when the largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380, was converted into a personal jet! Al-Waleed went to great lengths to dress the aircraft, which could seat 853 passengers, magnificently.
The conference room on board.
The A380 cost $500 million after customization and included several private suites, a concert hall, a Turkish bath, a garage for luxury cars, a prayer room with electronic mats that automatically turned towards Mecca, and a dining table that could seat 14 people.
There were plans to build a lift to transport guests between levels.
It was later reported that the Prince never received the aircraft, and the situation remained unknown.
A Saudi prince’s gold supercars are parked in London. (Image used for representation only). Screenshot courtesy of YouTube
Al Waleed bin Talal, the Saudi business magnate, owns nearly 300 cars in true royal style, including a blue Rolls-Royce for his daughter. He also owns a rare Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, one of only nine built. His extraordinary fleet also includes a Bugatti Veyron, a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a Pagani Zonda, a Koenigsegg CCXR, a Bentley Continental GT, and a McLaren P. Because the net worth of the wealthy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been disclosed, many believe Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud is the family’s wealthiest member.
He has his own animal farm with lakes and a mini-zoo – Al-Waleed’s love of animals is evident in a majestic 120-acre “farm and resort” on the outskirts of the city. Its sprawling expanse features a miniature Grand Canyon, an enthralling mini-zoo, luxurious horse stables, and not one, but five enchanting artificial lakes, all set against the backdrop of an emerald oasis that appears to go on forever.
The Prince, an undisputed patron of extravagance, spared no expense in ensuring the best for his wondrous estate, with lavish sprinklers working tirelessly to keep this paradise’s lush greenery.
Jewels to make a crown-wearing queen jealous-To say Prince Alwaleed’s Riyadh palace is filled with magnificent jewels is an understatement. An anecdote from a Forbes journalist’s visit to the Prince’s palace, where the floor was lined with a whopping 50 wooden boxes, each containing a lavish jewellery set fit for a king, was shared. The most stunning was a $40 million Haute joaillerie with a massive diamond and emerald with three emeralds the size of eggs dangling from the centre, as well as matching earrings and a ring. The valuable asset weighed in at 200 carats. “It’s a financial investment.” “I paid $50 million for $150 million in jewellery,” he explained. Alwaleed’s jewellery collection is valued at over $700 million.Note: According to Forbes, Prince Al Waleed is worth $18.7 billion at the time of writing. King Charles is worth $2.3 billion, according to the Guardian.