Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a self-made millionaire who is eight times wealthier than King Charles, lives a luxury lifestyle that no royal can even imagine. He owns three opulent residences, a personal Boeing 747, and a $325 million megayacht for relaxation.
The founder and head of the Saudi company Kingdom Holding Company, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, is a wealthy individual with a net worth of close to $16.5 billion. One of the richest people in the world and the most well-known member of the Saudi royal family is Abdulaziz, the grandson of the country’s first king. In addition, he calls himself a “calorie counter” and has a preoccupation with wealth and health. The world is his oyster, and a costly one at that, thanks to his significant holdings in hotels, properties, and stocks. The 68-year-old tycoon may not be smiling while wearing a crown, but other than that, he certainly has it all. The Menlo College alumnus from California accurately refers to himself as the Warren Buffett of Arabia since he owns everything lavish and lives in opulent palaces, flies in opulent private jets, and owns everything extravagant.
Early years of a contemporary Saudi prince-
Prince Al Waleed returned to Saudi Arabia during the oil boom in 1985 after earning a master’s degree in social science with honors from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. It wasn’t a bed of flowers, and he didn’t become successful by pressing a button, even though he was descended from royalty. Al Waleed, 25, founded Kingdom Establishment in Riyadh out of a modest four-room cabin using his father’s $30,000 startup funding.
His first taste of success came in 1982 when he worked with a South Korean construction firm on an $8 million project to establish a bachelor’s club at a military academy close to Riyadh. “I used to invest all the money I used to make from this construction in real estate and the stock market.” He concentrated on well-known businesses that were going through tough times in the ensuing years, and by 1989, his net worth was $1.4 billion.
Al Waleed’s investments increased his wealth to $16.2 billion.
Al Waleed’s investments in Canary Wharf, the Four Seasons Hotel Group, and News Corporation in the early 1990s show his preference for high-growth, high-risk businesses. His ownership interests in Citibank, Apple, TimeWarner, Motorola, 360buy, AOL, eBay, Euro Disney, and Twitter are well-known (Kingdom Holding has invested $3.4 billion in international equities and depositary receipts since 2020).
It is less well-known that Al Waleed spent $100 million on a 10% interest in Saks Fifth Avenue two decades ago, which led to the opening of a flagship location in Riyadh.
According to Vanity Fair, Al Waleed particularly enjoys his big portfolio of opulent hotels. He also owns the Savoy in London and the Plaza in New York, in addition to George V. Bill Gates, a multibillionaire, is a co-owner of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company.
Al Waleed owns a 10% investment in Euro Disney S.C.A., the company that runs Disneyland Paris, as well as a sizeable holding in Fairmont Raffles Holdings International, a different group of 130 properties spread over 27 nations. Even still, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to suggest that he resides in palaces so opulent that his hotel empire is inadequate.
This uncrowned prince possesses not one, not two, but three magnificent palaces. When you are as regal as the descendant of Saudi Arabia’s first monarch, you should have at least three palaces. In the heart of Riyadh, the cousin of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman resides in a luxurious palace with 435 rooms. Kingdom Palace, a $130 million sand-colored building, is a fitting name. It is furnished with 250 TVs and 1,500 tons of Italian marble, yet half of the rooms are still without one.
2000 guests can be served delectable Arabic, Continental, and Asian dishes in an hour by four royal kitchens with qualified employees. The extravagant home of the Kingdom Holding Co. founder boasts a 45-seat underground theater and a lagoon-shaped pool.
In the heart of Riyadh, the second palace is the 500,000-square-foot Kingdom Resort. Not one, but three lakes dotted with gardens are the jewels of this opulent estate. Even though the currently under-construction Kingdom Oasis is smaller than its forerunners, it will nonetheless be magnificent, covering 4,000,000 square feet and including a huge 17-acre lake and a private zoo.
The Arab billionaire also had plans for a residential community on 4,000 acres of land outside of Riyadh, in addition to palaces. The tycoon’s $10 billion Kingdom Tower would be a part of this construction. It was planned to be 3,281 feet tall, surpassing the height of four Empire State Buildings placed atop one another. If finished, the abandoned project, now known as Jeddah Tower, would have been the tallest building in the entire globe.
He cruises the high seas on a $325 million yacht. Kingdom 5KR-
Not believing in the less is more philosophy, the Arabian Warren Buffet doesn’t let extravagance leave the room, be it his palace in Riyadh or on the sea. The 282-foot luxury yacht Kingdom 5KR is a lavish 1980 Classic Yacht named after the investment company Kingdom Holdings, his lucky number 5, and the initials of two of his children. Bought from Donald Trump, the luxury vessel accommodated 22 guests in 11 staterooms, serviced by 31 crew members.
Designed by Luigi Sturchio, the lush walls come paneled with chamois leather and bird’s-eye maple. The bathrooms looked majestic, adorned in gold and onyx. The beautiful boat boasts a saloon, office, sauna, and three elevators to access different areas. The bountiful ship also includes a helideck, a cinema, and an 800-film library.
Add to all the amenities, a well-equipped hospital complete with an operating room ensuring the royal’s health is never at risk. Even if ever stranded Al-Waleed and his crew would be well-fed and looked after as six mammoth refrigerators carry a three-month food supply for 100 people. Is there anything safer than being in the company of a prince?
He travels with a massive entourage-
With a 26-member posse, it is not the most enormous entourage in the world, but it sure is attention-grabbing! Not only does this entourage go on yachts, events, and holidays but also for communal dinners. The list includes a private physician, an assistant manager of his palaces, a private assistant, an executive assistant, a personal affairs manager, 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, private affairs for the Princess, her 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 affluence were a person, it would reside in Saudi Arabia; if it had a name, it would be called Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. Among his many jaw-dropping assets is one “Flying Palace,” a private jet so lavishly created it would put 5-star hotels to shame.
Even billionaires have master suites with king-sized beds, private bathrooms, and showers. But how many can boast a full-sized dining room and kitchen capable of serving gourmet meals 40,000 feet in the air?
Such extravagance fell short for the Saudi Arabian businessman, for he booked a 239-foot-long aircraft for $320 million in 2007. Imagine the power of his wealth when the largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380, became a personal jet! Al-Waleed spared no expense in donning the aircraft that could accommodate 853 passengers, most magnificently.
Inside it
Gold supercars collection
