Okay, let’s talk about money. Not your “found a tenner in last winter’s coat” kind of money, but the kind where you buy a yacht on a whim, forget about it, and then accidentally order a second one in a different color. We’re talking about the net worth of the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. If Scrooge McDuck had a billionaire cousin who owns a literal oil well in his backyard, that’s this guy.
How Rich Are We Talking? Like, Embarrassingly Rich?
Let’s get one thing straight: pinning down an exact number for the King’s personal fortune is like trying to count the grains of sand in the Rub’ al Khali—it’s possible in theory, but you’ll die of boredom and thirst before you finish. Official estimates put the Saudi royal family’s collective wealth at a jaw-dropping $1.4 trillion.
That’s a “T.” As in, you could buy every single NFL team (yes, all 32 of them), fly them to the moon on a private SpaceX rocket, and still have enough left over to buy a small European country for snacks. The King himself? His personal net worth is often estimated around $18 billion, but let’s be real—that’s just the cash he keeps in his couch cushions.
Must Read
He doesn’t have a wallet. He has a swimming pool full of gold bars, and he hires synchronized swimmers to do laps in it.
So, Where Does All That Cash Come From?
Here’s the punchline: Saudi Arabia sits on roughly 16% of the world’s proven oil reserves. You know that gas station where you pay $50 to fill your Honda Civic? Imagine owning the entire station, the refinery, the oil field, and the dinosaur fossils that turned into the oil. That’s basically the King’s “allowance.”
How Rich Is Saudi Arabia , What Is the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund? – VKVF
But it’s not just oil. The Saudi royal family has its hands in everything. They own massive stakes in companies you use every day: think Uber, Disney, and even Facebook. The King’s investment fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is basically a giant cash cannon that buys anything that moves.
They bought a $500 million superyacht called the Serene—which is so big it has its own weather system. True story: it has a helipad, a submarine, and a “snow room” where you can ski indoors. Because why not?
The “Oops, I Bought a Palace” Problem
Here’s a fun fact: the King has multiple palaces, including one in Riyadh that’s basically a small city. It’s got 1,000 rooms, dozens of kitchens, and a garage that could host a Formula 1 race. He once spent $5 billion on a single palace—which is more than the GDP of some entire countries.
Top 10 Richest Monarchs In The World 2026 - ICON
You know how you get mad when your Netflix bill goes up by $3? Imagine waking up and realizing you accidentally bought a private island because you were bored during a Zoom call. That’s his life. He doesn’t have impulse purchases; he has geopolitical commitments.
And let’s not forget the gifts. When President Obama visited, the King gave him a diamond-studded sword worth about $200,000. I gave my friend a used DVD of The Fast and the Furious for their birthday. Same energy.
But Wait—There’s More (and It’s Weird)
The royal family doesn’t just spend on themselves. They’ve also funded some wildly extravagant public projects. Ever heard of NEOM? It’s a $500 billion futuristic city in the desert that will feature robot maids, flying taxis, and an artificial moon. Yes, an artificial moon—because the real one wasn’t bright enough for their dance parties.
Meet the world's richest Monarchs worth $134 bn combined - Businessday NG
Then there’s the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (the King’s son and the real power behind the throne). He once spent $450 million on a single painting—Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi. He then parked it on his yacht. I once spent $450 on a pizza and felt like a king. Perspective.
The “Crazy Rich Saudis” Tax
Here’s the kicker: the King doesn’t pay taxes. He collects them. In Saudi Arabia, there’s no income tax, no VAT on many things, and the royal family basically lives like it’s a permanent “no limits” credit card. But they do give back—kind of.
The Saudi government provides free education, free healthcare, and no-interest loans for citizens. So while the King is buying diamond-encrusted Rolexes for his pet falcons, the average Saudi citizen gets a pretty sweet deal too. It’s like having a rich uncle who buys you a car but also spends $10 million on a gold toilet. Weird flex, but okay.
Meet a person who owns gold-plated supercars, palaces, and MASSIVE net
The Final Verdict: Can You Even Spend That Much Money?
Let’s do some maths. If you had $18 billion and spent $1 million every single day, it would take you nearly 50 years to run out. The King doesn’t have that problem because he earns about $2 million per hour from oil alone. He makes more money while sleeping than you or I will earn in a lifetime.
So, what’s the point of all this? Honestly, there isn’t one. It’s just silly, hilarious, and a little terrifying. The King of Saudi Arabia’s net worth is proof that money really does buy happiness—if you define happiness as owning a Subaru-sized diamond and a climate-controlled room for your 300 purebred Arabian horses.
But hey, if you ever feel bad about your student loans, just remember: somewhere in Riyadh, a 88-year-old man is having a gold-plated falcon delivered by drone. And he still can’t find matching socks.