Okay, grab your coffee. Let's talk about money. No, not your rent money or mine. I mean real money. The kind that buys islands. I'm talking about Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal. You know, the “Arabian Warren Buffett”? Yeah, that guy.
His net worth is a bit of a moving target, honestly. It's like trying to count the stars while someone keeps adding more. But we can ballpark it. The last solid estimates put him somewhere around $20 billion. Yes, with a B. That’s not a typo.
But here's the thing: his wealth isn't just a number. It's a story. A story about a royal who actually worked for his money. Well, “worked” in the sense that he made phone calls and did deals in a palace. Not exactly digging ditches, but still.
Must Read
The Kingdom Inside the Kingdom
He built his empire through Kingdom Holding Company. That's his personal investment firm. Think of it like his giant, sparkly piggy bank. It owns pieces of everything you know and love.
Need a hotel? He owns part of the Savoy in London. And the Four Seasons. And the Plaza in New York. It’s like he’s playing Monopoly, but with real continents. And he never passes Go; he buys it.
Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, his royal family: Check out their gold
He also owns a massive stake in Twitter. Remember when Elon bought it? Al Waleed was already sitting pretty. He also has money in Apple, Citigroup, and even Euro Disney. The guy is everywhere.
The Real Estate That Hurts Your Feelings
Let’s talk about his personal stuff. Because his “house” is a different story. He has a palace in Riyadh. It’s called “Al Waleed’s Palace.” Very subtle, right? It has 400 rooms. Four hundred.
Need a place to park? He has a garage that looks like a car museum. He owns a golden Lamborghini. Yes, golden. Not painted gold, but actually coated in gold. Why? Because he can. That’s the only answer you get.
Alwaleed bin Talal Net Worth, Cars, wife, House, age, Early life
He also has a $500 million private jet. It’s an Airbus A380. It has a Turkish bath in it. A Turkish bath. At 35,000 feet. I can barely get a bag of peanuts on my flight without paying extra.
The Rollercoaster Year
But wait. Remember the "Ritz-Carlton Purge" in 2017? That was wild. The Saudi government detained him. Along with dozens of other princes. They were “guests” at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. For about three months.
Rumors swirled. Was he broke? Was he losing everything? Turns out, he just had to pay a settlement. The government said he needed to “settle” some debts. He paid a few billion dollars. A few billion. Like you or I might pay a parking ticket.
Al Waleed Bin Talal Car Collection | Private Jet | Net Worth | Saudi
He walked out, shook hands, and went back to his golden Lamborghini. His net worth took a hit, for sure. But he’s the kind of guy who loses $5 billion and still has $15 billion left. It’s an absurd safety net.
The “Philanthropist” Angle
So, is he a good guy? He gives away a lot of money. He promised to donate his entire $32 billion fortune to charity. Eventually. That’s a massive promise. But critics say it’s just PR. He’s still living in the 400-room palace.
He does donate to disaster relief. He gave to the Clinton Foundation. He’s a big player in the Giving Pledge. But it’s easy to be generous when your pocket change is my lifetime salary.
Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Alsaud Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth
The Final Tally
So, what’s the real number today? As of 2024, Forbes says he’s worth about $17 billion. Bloomberg says a bit less. Honestly, who cares? The point is, he has more money than most small countries.
He’s a paradox. He’s a royal who built a business empire. He’s a billionaire who flaunts gold jets but talks about charity. He’s a prince who got arrested and then just… bounced back.
So next time you stress over a $5 coffee, remember: somewhere, Prince Al Waleed is deciding whether to buy another island. Or maybe just a new color for his gold car. Either way, we’re just here for the ride. And the coffee. Cheers.