Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Who was Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?
Saudi royal and billionaire investor known for his stakes in international companies including former ownership in Twitter.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, born on March 7, 1955, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is a billionaire businessman, investor, and part of the House of Saud. He's the grandson of Abdulaziz, the founding king of Saudi Arabia, and Riad Al Solh, Lebanon's first prime minister. This background gave him a unique blend of Arabian Gulf power and Levantine political influence. After studying at Menlo College and Syracuse University, where he got a degree in business administration, he returned to Saudi Arabia with plans to build his own business empire, rather than relying just on royal connections.
Before Fame
Growing up in the Saudi royal family during a time of rapid oil-driven change, Alwaleed bin Talal matured as the kingdom changed into a major global economic power. His parents divorced when he was young, and he mostly grew up with his mother in Lebanon. He later returned to Saudi Arabia for his education and early career. He started his studies at Menlo College in California, then transferred to Syracuse University, where he got a master's degree in social science. When he returned to the kingdom, he began his business career in the early 1980s with a small amount of capital and a focus on finding undervalued assets. This careful approach would shape his investment philosophy for many years.
Key Achievements
- Founded and built the Kingdom Holding Company into a Saudi conglomerate with a market capitalization exceeding $18 billion as of 2013
- Ranked by Forbes as the 7th-richest person in the world in November 2017 with a net worth of approximately $39.8 billion
- Acquired a transformative stake in Citibank during its early 1990s crisis, establishing his reputation as a global investor
- Named to Time magazine's Time 100 list of the world's most influential people in 2008
- Held early significant investment positions in major technology and hospitality companies including Twitter, Apple, and Four Seasons Hotels
Did You Know?
- 01.Time magazine dubbed him the 'Arabian Warren Buffett' for his contrarian investment strategy of buying stakes in struggling companies at low prices and holding them for long-term gains.
- 02.He purchased a significant stake in Citibank during its early 1990s financial difficulties, a bet that ultimately returned enormous profits as the bank recovered.
- 03.He owns the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris and holds a stake in New York's Plaza Hotel, making him one of the most prominent hotel property owners among global investors.
- 04.In November 2017, he was detained at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and was released in January 2018 following a reported financial settlement.
- 05.His personal Boeing 747 aircraft was customized with opulent interiors, earning widespread media coverage and becoming a symbol of his extravagant public profile.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of Unity | — | — |
| Order of King Abdulaziz al Saud | — | — |
| Order of the cavalier of Madara | — | — |
| National Order of Burkina Faso | — | — |
| Order of Diplomatic Service Merit | — | — |
| Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit | — | — |
| Commander of the Legion of Honour | — | — |
| Order of the Republic of The Gambia | — | — |
| Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar | — | — |
| Commander of the National Order of the Cedar | — | — |
| Order of the Star of Africa | — | — |
| National Order of Madagascar | — | — |
| Commander of the National Order of Mali | — | — |
| Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau | — | — |
| Order of the Umayyads | — | — |
| Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya | — | — |
| National Order of Chad | — | — |
| National Maltese Order of Merit | — | — |
| Order of the Star of Jordan | — | — |
| Family Order of Laila Utama | — | — |
| Order of the Republic | — | — |
| Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion | — | — |
| National Order of the Ivory Coast | — | — |
| Order of the Volta | — | — |
| Order of Merit of Niger | — | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of Wissam Alaouite | — | — |
| Order of Brilliant Star | — | — |
| Grand Officer of the Order of Grimaldi | — | — |
| National Order of Merit | — | — |
| Order of Mono | — | — |
| National Order of Merit | — | — |
| Friendship Order | — | — |
| Order of Bethlehem | 2000 | — |
| Order of the Star of Honour (Palestine) | 2014 | — |
| National Order of Merit | — | — |
| National Order of the Cedar | — | — |
| National Order of Mali | — | — |
| National Order of the Lion of Senegal | — | — |
| Grand Cross of the Order of Excellence | — | — |
| Order of the Golden Heart | — | — |
| Order of Ouissam Alaouite | — | — |
| Order of Grimaldi | — | — |
| Order of the 7th November 1987 | — | — |
| Order of Amilcar Cabral | — | — |
| Order of Merit | — | — |
| Order of Bahrain | — | — |
| Order of the Star of Anjouan | — | — |