Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia is a self-made billionaire who lives a lifestyle that no monarch could even imagine. He is eight times wealthier than King Charles. He travels in his personal Boeing 747, relaxes on his $325 million megayacht, and possesses three extravagant mansions.
The Saudi conglomerate Kingdom Holding Company has a net worth of roughly $16.5 billion. The grandson of Abdulaziz, the first monarch of Saudi Arabia, is one of the world’s richest individuals and the most prominent member of the Saudi royal family. He is also a self-proclaimed “calorie counter” who is obsessed with fitness and wealth. With substantial holdings in hotels, real estate, and stocks, the world is his oyster, albeit an expensive one! The 68-year-old business magnate may not be smiling with a crown on his head, but other than the crown, he has it all. The graduate of Menlo College in California, who lives in opulent palaces, travels in palatial private jets, and owns everything extravagant, names himself the Warren Buffett of Arabia.
The formative years of a contemporary Saudi prince-Prince Al Waleed returned to Saudi Arabia in the midst of the oil surge in 1985 after earning an honors master’s degree in social science from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Despite his regal lineage, it was neither a bed of roses nor a push of a button to achieve success. Al Waleed, aged 25 years old, founded Kingdom Establishment in a modest, four-room cabin in Riyadh with $30,000 provided by his father.
In 1982, he collaborated with a South Korean construction company on a $8 million project to construct a bachelors’ retreat at a military academy near Riyadh. “I used to reinvest all the money I earned from this construction in real estate and the stock market.” In the years that followed, he focused on enduring trademarks, and by 1989 he had amassed a net worth of $1.4 billion.
The investments that made Al Waleed a $16.2 billion man-In the early 1990s, Al Waleed preferred high-risk, high-growth enterprises, which explains his investments in Canary Wharf, Four Seasons Hotel Group, and News Corporation. His holdings in Citibank, Apple, TimeWarner, Motorola, 360buy, AOL, eBay, and Euro Disney are well-known, and he is the second largest owner of Twitter (since 2020, Kingdom Holding has invested $3.4 billion in global equities and depositary receipts).
Al Waleed acquired a 10 percent stake in Saks Fifth Avenue for $100 million twenty years ago, resulting in the establishment of a flagship store in Riyadh.
Al Waleed is particularly enamored 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, a magnate, is a co-owner of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company.
Al Waleed possesses a ten percent stake in Euro Disney S.C.A., the company that owns Disneyland Paris, as well as a significant stake in Fairmont Raffles Holdings International, a collection of 130 properties in 27 countries. Still, it would not be incorrect to state that he resides in palaces so lavish that the hotel empire pales in comparison.
This uncrowned prince possesses not one, not two, but three magnificent palaces. If you are as royal as the grandson of the first king of Saudi Arabia, you have at least three palaces. The cousin of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman resides in a 435-room residence in the heart of Riyadh. The sand-colored structure worth $130 million is appropriately named Kingdom Palace. It is covered in 1,500 tons of Italian marble and has 250 televisions, leaving half of the rooms without televisions.
Four palace kitchens with well-trained staff can prepare Arabic, Continental, and Asian delicacies for 2,000 guests within an hour’s notice. The mansion of the proprietor of Kingdom Holding Co. features a lagoon-shaped pool and a basement theater with 45 seats.
The second palace is the 500,000-square-foot Kingdom Resort in central Riyadh. This opulent property is highlighted by not one but three lakes interspersed with gardens. The under-construction Kingdom Oasis may be smaller than its predecessors, but it will be incredibly impressive, spanning 4 million square feet and incorporating a 17-acre lake and private zoo.
In addition to palaces, the Arab magnate planned a residential community on the outskirts of Riyadh on an 8,000-acre plot of land. This $10 billion development would include the billionaire’s Kingdom Tower. It was intended to be taller than four Empire State Buildings piled on top of each other, with a combined height of 3,281 feet. If completed, the project now known as Jeddah Tower would have been the tallest in the globe.
He cruises the oceans in luxury aboard a $325 million yacht. Country 5KR-The Arabian Warren Buffet, who does not subscribe to the “less is more” tenet, does not permit extravagance to depart his palace in Riyadh or his yacht. The luxurious 1980 Classic Yacht Kingdom 5KR is 282 feet long and was named after the investment firm Kingdom Holdings, his fortunate number 5, and the initials of his two children. The luxurious vessel purchased from Donald Trump accommodated 22 guests in 11 staterooms and had 31 crew members.
The luxuriant walls were designed by Luigi Sturchio and are paneled with chamois leather and bird’s-eye maple. The opulent restrooms were adorned with gold and onyx. The magnificent vessel features a saloon, office, sauna, and three elevators for accessing various areas. The abundant ship also features a helipad, a theater, and a collection of 800 films.
Include a well-equipped hospital with an operating room to ensure that the royal’s health is never in jeopardy. Even if Al-Waleed and his crew became stranded, they would be well-fed and cared for, as six enormous refrigerators contain a three-month supply of food for 100 people. Is there anything more secure than being with a prince?
He travels with a large retinue. His 26-member posse may not be the largest in the world, but it certainly attracts attention! In addition to yachts, events, and vacations, this group gathers for communal banquets. Included on the list are a private physician, an assistant manager of his palaces, a private assistant, an executive assistant, a manager of personal affairs, two personal affairs assistants, a manager of the protocol department, and a manager of travel and external affairs.
The list continues with the assistant manager of telecommunications, the Princess’ private affairs, her beautician, her athletic trainer, two security details, the assistant director of the Audio-Visual Department, the Prince’s hairdresser, and two companions.
The magnate travels in a luxurious Boeing 747. If wealth were a person, it would reside in Saudi Arabia and be known as Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. Among his many jaw-dropping assets is a “Flying Palace,” a private aircraft so extravagantly designed that it would shame five-star hotels.
Master suites with king-sized beds, private restrooms, and showers are available to even billionaires. How many, however, can claim a dining room and kitchen large enough to serve gourmet meals at 41,000 feet?
The Boeing 747 has a prayer area equipped with an electronic system that always faces Mecca.
In 2007, the Saudi Arabian businessman secured a 239-foot-long aircraft for $320 million, which he deemed insufficient. Imagine his wealth if the largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380, was converted into a private airliner! Al-Waleed spared no expense in adorning the aircraft, which could seat 853 passengers, in the most spectacular manner.
After customization, the A380 cost $500 million and featured several private suites, a concert hall, a Turkish bath, a garage for luxury cars, a prayer chamber with electronic mats that automatically faced Mecca, and a 14-person dining table.
Al Waleed bin Talal, a Saudi business magnate, possesses nearly 300 cars, including a blue Rolls-Royce for his daughter, in true royal fashion. He also possesses one of only nine Lamborghini Veneno Roadsters ever produced. His extraordinary fleet also includes Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Pagani Zonda, Koenigsegg CCXR, Bentley Continental GT, and McLaren P. As the net worth of the affluent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been disclosed, many believe Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud is the wealthiest member of the family.
Al-Waleed’s affection for animals is on display in a magnificent 120-acre “farm and resort” on the periphery of the city. Its vast expanse features a miniature Grand Canyon, a captivating mini-zoo, opulent equestrian stables, and not one, but five enchanting artificial lakes, all set against the backdrop of a seemingly endless emerald oasis.
The palace of Prince Alwaleed in Riyadh contains magnificent gemstones, to put it mildly. A journalist for Forbes related an anecdote from his visit to the Prince’s residence, where the floor was lined with a staggering 50 wooden boxes, each containing a regal jewelry set. The most awe-inspiring piece was a $40 million Haute joaillerie that featured an enormous diamond and emerald with three emeralds the size of eggs dangling from the center, along with matching earrings and a ring. The value of the valuable asset was 200 carats. “It’s an expenditure. I paid $50 million for $150 million worth of jewelery, he said. The value of Alwaleed’s jewelry collection exceeds $700 million.