Prince alwaleed talal saud. Palaces in the sky, on the sea and on the earth. “They put personal interests above public interests”
Bloomberg, USA
© AP Photo, Majdi Mohammed Prince Alwaleed on his 83-day imprisonment
One of richest people world talks about his captivity by the Saudi Arabian government.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal suffered repeated setbacks on his way to becoming the richest investor in the Middle East and one of the most recognizable faces of Saudi Arabia. He went broke in the 1980s and lost billions of dollars on Citigroup Inc. during the 2008 financial crisis. But nothing compares to the humiliation he had to endure these past few months. Last November, Al-Waleed's uncle, King Salman, and his cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, led a government raid on alleged fraudsters, embezzlers and money launderers, leading to Al-Waleed's detention and jailing for 83 days in what has become the infamous Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh.
I saw Al-Waleed in late October, a week before he became a government prisoner. We spent the evening at his desert camp talking about financial markets and US politics, watching a football game on TV, walking along the sands and eating a late dinner in the cool midnight air. I returned to the kingdom in mid-March, seven weeks after his release. Al-Walid decided to break his silence and give an interview to Bloomberg Television.
The day before the interview, we held an informal meeting at his palace in Riyadh. I waited in the foyer, and the prince came down the grand staircase from the second floor. He was dressed simply: beige taub, a brown sports jacket and sandals - and seemed relaxed. Over the next two hours, he recounted his ordeal while sipping Arabic coffee and ginger tea as his five grandchildren sang and danced in the palace gymnasium. Hot n Cold Katy Perry.
Early on the morning of November 4, Al-Walid, who had arrived at his camp for the weekend, received a call asking him to appear at the royal court. He left immediately, unaware of the trap. Sensational details of the anti-corruption crackdown were soon revealed, and news reports were abuzz with reports that among the hundreds of tycoons, government ministers and other princes detained at the Ritz-Carlton, Al-Waleed was the most prominent. Within three days, shares of his main company, Kingdom Holding Co. , fell by 21 percent.
Al-Waleed has become quite a catch for a government keen to show its people that no Saudi will escape accountability in the fight against free-eating and graft: his $17.1 billion fortune ranks him 65th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. And his international importance, forged through friendships and business partnerships with Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and their ilk, rivals that of Prince Mohammed. Kingdom Holding's portfolio includes Four Seasons hotels and resorts, as well as Citigroup, Eurodisney, and Twitter. And the Rotana Group, which he controls separately, is the largest entertainment company Arab world.
The government posed the question bluntly: pay, sign a confession of guilt and be released, or refuse and languish in captivity. According to the Wall Street Journal, the cost of freeing Al-Waleed was six billion dollars. The negotiations were conducted in secret, and the government did not make any accusations or present any evidence. Critics said the captives were being denied due process and accused Prince Mohammed of waging a campaign of intimidation and extortion under the guise of fighting corruption.
Context
When the princes were locked up at the Ritz
InoSMI 11/14/2017 Al Araby TV 02/18/2018 Donya-e Eqtesad 11/11/2017Rumors began to emerge about ill-treatment and even torture at the Ritz-Carlton, which immediately made it to the pages of the Daily Mail Online and regional media. Therefore, when at the end of January the prince, still at the hotel, appeared in a certain video shot on a smartphone, exhausted and tired after two and a half months in prison, speculation only intensified. He said that he was being treated decently, but no one believed it. (Most recently, the New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that some detainees were physically abused and otherwise coerced into confessing, and one military officer in custody died with all the signs of a severe beating).
Since his release, Al-Waleed had gained a little weight and seemed more energetic, lively, and busy than ever. But from the conversation it becomes clear that he is trying his best to cope with what happened. Even if he is innocent—and he insists he is—the government has placed him in the same conditions as a group of crooks. And any complaint could cause anger, which he already faced directly.
We conducted the interview on a makeshift set in Al-Walid's apartment on the 67th floor of the Kingdom skyscraper in Riyadh. As I walked in, I thought about how frank he could be with me. Will he talk about his life at the Ritz-Carlton? Does the fact acknowledge any harm done to him? Did he have to make a deal with the devil to achieve his release? Can his words be trusted? What if the government threatened him? Will I be able to talk about this?
Below are excerpts from our conversation, which have had to be slightly edited for clarity.
Let's start with the obvious: why?
Al-Waleed's detention was mysterious compared to the others. Of all the arrested princes, he is the only one who never served in the government of Saudi Arabia, where kickbacks are considered commonplace. And unlike other businessmen, he was not a government contractor, and therefore could not inflate tariffs. He acquired most of his wealth transparently through real estate and as an investor in the public markets.
Eric Schatzker: First question: why were you arrested?
Prince Alwaleed: I wouldn't use that word because we were first invited to the palace and then asked to go to the Ritz-Carlton. Everything was done with honor and dignity, and in relation to everyone, not just me.
So, is it fair to use the word “arrest” only in relation to those who committed a crime and admitted guilt?
Exactly. And he reached an agreement with the government. But in my case, as you know, the situation is completely different.
So there were no charges? Have you been accused of anything at all?
There were no charges. Because I have a fiduciary responsibility to my shareholders in Kingdom Holding, my friends in Saudi Arabia and the entire global community, and in view of our widespread international investments, it is very important to state the absence of both blame and blame.
You have dubbed your ordeals a misunderstanding. What was it connected with?
I say “misunderstanding” because I think I shouldn’t have been there. Now that everything is over, I would say that all suspicions have been cleared from me. However, I must say that we have indeed reached full understanding with the government.
What does it mean?
This is confidential information and I cannot talk about it. But there is an understanding between me and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Does this require you to take certain actions?
Not necessary. Again, I cannot expand on this, since the information is secret and concerns only me and the government. But rest assured: this does not constrain me in any way.
What did the government want from you?
I will not go into details of the discussions that took place between myself and the government representatives.
They must have wanted something.
I read in the press that they allegedly wanted to snatch a certain piece from me. But these are all rumors.
According to one report, it was about six billion dollars.
I have read about six billion, and about larger and smaller amounts.
How much did freedom cost you? Have you been asked to pay the government any money, give up any possessions, or give up any shares?
You must respect the confidential agreement reached between me and the government of Saudi Arabia and based on confirmed mutual understanding.
I am a citizen of Saudi Arabia. And also a member of the royal family. The king is my uncle and Mohammed bin Salman is my cousin. I am interested in maintaining and keeping our relationship secret.
You maintain your innocence and say that you did not sign any plea agreement.
We actually signed a document, a confirmed mutual understanding. Some may call this a settlement agreement. I don’t think so, because in my understanding, an agreement is an admission that you did something wrong.
You, of course, understand how important it is to be honest and frank with me. If another version emerges, your credibility will suffer.
Of course.
So, everything you said is one hundred percent true?
I have a confirmed understanding with the government and it remains in effect. I will go into detail on this: this is an ongoing process with the government.
The question of Al-Waleed's reputation
Already, Kingdom Holding is talking to lenders about securing $2 billion in debt financing—the “firepower,” as the prince puts it, for the next deal.
These events have affected your reputation. No matter what you say in this interview, people will still be convinced that because you ended up at the Ritz-Carlton, you must be guilty of something. Understand this.
When you are detained, someone in the business or banking community is bound to raise concerns. My job now is to interact, meet all of them, whether privately or collectively, and tell my story.
I understand that it will not be easy, because some banks and representatives of the business community will continue to have doubts. However, I assure them that everything is fine, everything is back to normal and we are functioning as before.
It would certainly help if the government said: "Al-Waleed did nothing wrong, there was a misunderstanding, he did not buy his freedom and remains a Saudi citizen in good standing." But this did not happen.
Context
When the princes were locked up at the Ritz
InoSMI 11/14/2017Camels punished for Botox and other deceptions of the Arab world
Al Araby TV 02/18/2018What is the relationship between Hariri's resignation and the arrests of Saudi princes?
Donya-e Eqtesad 11.11.2017 All these points are reflected in the confirmed mutual understanding, agreement between me and the government.The confirmation of my words is the fact that I am speaking to you now, and speaking truthfully and honestly, and the fact that the government will not say: “Al-Waleed is wrong.”
So you feel the need to speak out in order to restore your good name because you were slandered?
Firstly, I really need to restore my reputation, and secondly, I need to clarify many false points. For example, that I was tortured and sent to prison. It's a lie. I stayed at the hotel the entire time and was never tortured.
Inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel
For three months, 381 Saudis remained locked inside the Ritz-Carlton, which has 492 rooms, 52 acres of land and giant meeting rooms. Many were quickly released. Al-Walid's stay was one of the longest. The prince says he was kept in room 628, a 4,575-square-foot (425 sq. m.) royal suite.
What have you been doing all this time?
Sports, walks, meditation, watching the news, prayers.
Describe one typical day.
I went to bed at 6-7 am and woke up around noon. We prayed five times a day.
Did you have access to television and newspapers?
There was access to everything.
So, no one outside knew about what was happening inside, but you, being inside, knew about everything that was happening outside?
Exactly. That's why I managed to get information about the so-called torture.
So you weren't abused?
Not at all.
Are you sure that none of the detainees suffered from ill-treatment, torture or beatings?
Maybe someone was trying to escape or do something crazy. Perhaps such people were pacified and controlled. Quite possible. But there was nothing that could be called systematic torture.
Were you allowed to talk to other detainees?
No. No one at the Ritz-Carlton could talk to each other. Even in my case. I didn't see anyone, didn't talk to anyone.
You are allowed to make several calls. To whom and under what conditions?
I called my son, daughter and granddaughters. And spoke with the heads of my companies, the CEO of Kingdom Holding, the head of my personal office and general secretary my fund.
Were calls tracked?
Probably yes.
Dealing with the Crown Prince
For more than 70 years, the Saudi throne passed from one brother to another, but Salman broke with the past by handing his son control of several government portfolios and making him crown prince last year. Prince Mohammed's plans include economic program"Saudi Arabia Vision 2030", within which the largest oil company in the world, Saudi Aramco may become a public joint stock company. Cinemas, banned since the early 1980s, have returned, and in some areas of Riyadh women are allowed to go bareheaded. And in June, for the first time since 1990, they will be allowed to drive cars.
What is it like to be captured by your own cousin?
It's not easy, I must admit. It's hard when you're being held against your will. But after being released, I had a very strange feeling. I gathered all the senior employees of my companies and those close to me and told them: “I swear to you that I am completely calm and peaceful and do not feel resentment or other bad feelings.”
And, of course, a day later we were again communicating with the royal court, the crown prince and his people. The situation is very strange, but that’s exactly what happened.
Is it because you just needed to move forward?
No. I'm a patriot. I believe in my country. What happened will not make me turn against my uncle, my cousin, my country and my people.
How would you describe your relationship with Prince Mohammed?
They have become stronger. This affects many, even my own people.
Have you forgiven him?
I completely forgot and forgave everything that happened. Everything is left behind.
How often do you communicate with him?
At least once every three days I text him, call him or talk to him in person.
Do you talk to him once every three days?
We mostly text each other and talk less often. But we communicate every week.
Prince Mohammed has a grand plan to transform the Saudi economy and society. Do you still support him on this?
Yes. His vision absorbed many of my ideas, and he multiplied them. I floated the idea of creating a sovereign wealth fund and talked about turning Aramco into a public Joint-Stock Company. Women's rights, their competitiveness in society, their driving - I called for all of this.
He lays the foundation new era in Saudi Arabia. I personally consider any person who opposes what Mohammed bin Salman is doing to be a traitor.
Navigating the new Saudi Arabia
The crown prince has also become the largest Saudi investor, pouring tens of billions of government dollars into Uber Technologies Inc. and funds managed by Blackstone Group and SoftBank Group.
Does the government want you to create and maintain relationships with heads of state and CEOs of international companies?
I was released without being burdened with any conditions, and maintained contacts with many heads of state in Europe and the Middle East. Everything is fine.
Can you travel?
Of course I can.
Are you unsure if the government is monitoring your whereabouts?
I don't care.
What about your bank accounts?
Everything is back to normal.
You are looking for foreign investment, as is the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Isn't this competition?
In fact, in terms of participation in many projects, we maintain contact with the government. They have a plan big project in the Red Sea with resorts like Maldives. There will also be Four Seasons hotels. We were also invited to take part in another Riyadh project, the construction of a huge Disney-style entertainment center.
We are involved in the hotel business, facilities mass media and in the entertainment industry. So there is no competition, we complement each other.
What about joint investments? Will PIF invest alongside Kingdom Holding or perhaps Rotana or Prince Alwaleed himself?
Yes, this will happen. We are currently discussing certain projects with PIF.
Domestic projects or international ventures?
Internal for starters.
The Crown Prince visits Western countries, meets with Trump at the White House and tries to attract capital to Saudi Arabia. Given what happened to you at the Ritz-Carlton, how pleased are you to represent a united front with the government that got you there in the first place?
I support Saudi Arabia, I support my government, I support King Salman and Prince Mohammed in every way. This happened before, during and after the arrest.
People will have a hard time understanding this.
They don't understand that you are talking to a person who is a member of the royal family. We are all in the same boat here. On one side. We are the ruling family of Saudi Arabia.
I understand that from the point of view of ordinary citizens this sounds strange. They will definitely say, “Do you really still support the king and the crown prince after being their prisoner?”
One needs to think about how willing business executives will be to invest in Saudi Arabia after witnessing this type of dispute resolution.
I'll let them decide for themselves. On my own behalf, I can say this: business is progressing as usual, and we will continue to invest in Saudi Arabia.
Eric Schatzker- Canadian presenter and editor of Bloomberg Television, has 15 years of experience covering events in the world of investment and economics.
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editorial board of InoSMI.
Childhood
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on March 7, 1955 into a royal family, the rank, title or occupation of each member of which is truly impressive.
His father, Prince Talal ibn Abdel Aziz, was Minister of Finance; in the 60s he opposed the current government of King Faisal as part of the liberal movement. His grandfather is Riad Al-Solh famous political figure, former prime minister Lebanon, Al-Walid's uncle Salman is the reigning king of Saudi Arabia, and his maternal cousins are the princes of Morocco - Moulay Hisham Angle and Moulay Ismail.
The baby was not yet four when his parents decided to divorce. Prince Al-Walid stayed with his mother, Princess Monica, and soon they moved to Beirut, where the guy spent his childhood.
Education
As befits children in royal families, Al-Walid received prestigious education. He went to America to study, where he chose Menlo College in San Francisco to study. Here he received his bachelor's degree, after which he went to Syracuse University in New York. Here he studied social sciences with world-famous teachers.
The young prince liked life in America - he quickly got used to it, fell in love with business style clothing, fast food and Coca-Cola. It seemed pointless for a young, active and educated young man to return to his homeland.
Starting a business career and its successful continuation
Prince Al-Waleed began his commercial activities in 1979. Taking out a loan of $350,000, he began providing intermediary services to foreign companies that planned to cooperate with Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the prince’s close relationship with quite influential people in the country, his debut in the business world turned out to be quite successful. In addition to mediation, Al-Walid was involved in the purchase and resale of plots of land. In 1980, Al-Waleed bin Talal founded the Kingdom company.
One of the prince's most famous and successful investments was Citibank. In the 1990s, Al-Walid acquired a significant part of the shares of Citibank, which at that time was in extremely difficult financial situation. By investing almost all of his investments in Citibank, he saved it from complete collapse. Subsequently, more than half of Al-Walid’s fortune was precisely this company, which he once saved from falling.
The next successful acquisition for the prince was a package preferred shares Citigroup. Having bought the company's shares for almost nothing, Al-Walid made the right decision - at the beginning of 1994, the shares literally soared in price, which significantly increased Al-Walid's capital.
The prince has been seen more than once in collaboration with Bill Gates and by Microsoft, and he is also famous for his generous investments in media companies.
"Arabian Warren Buffett"
Prince Alwaleed is often compared to another successful businessman— Warren Buffett, referring to his impressive investment acumen. However, these two investors do not have much in common: Al-Walid, if you look at it, has very few high-profile investments, and the most successful of them is still the same Citigroup. Buffett became famous for dozens of large transactions.
These two businessmen are very different in their attitude to luxury. Warren Buffett lives in a house worth just over 30 thousand dollars, while the prince has a luxurious palace valued at more than 100 million. Also, Al-Walid, like most eastern billionaires, has a weakness for expensive cars, private jets and luxury yachts. In 2012, the prince once again recalled his love for luxury by purchasing the only example of an elite aircraft to date. Al-Walid now owns a personal Airbus-380 aircraft.
Forbes scandal
The annual ranking published by Forbes magazine in 2013, as usual, consisted of people whose wealth has long been estimated in the billions. An Arabian businessman was also on the list. But if, according to the calculations of the editors of the publication, the prince’s assets amounted to 20 billion (he took 26th place in the hundred), then he himself announced a figure of 29 billion dollars. A difference of almost ten billion could significantly affect its place in the ranking.
It is reported that Prince Al-Waleed sent a letter to the CEO of Forbes, in which he asked in an uncompromising manner that his name no longer appear in the publication's rankings. Not this year, not any other. Then he openly stated that he did not trust the publication, and the methods of assessing the condition used by journalists were absolutely incorrect and incorrect.
Forbes management did not tolerate such antics that undermined the authority of the publication. Literally a few days later, a detailed article about Al-Walid was published on the official website of the magazine, which outlined a different point of view on the current situation. According to the publication, the prince is too fixated on his own image, so long before the publication of the list, Al-Walid’s PR managers demanded that the prince’s fortune be assessed based on the data of his personal lawyers.
Charity
In 2015, the news spread around the world that Prince Al-Waleed of Saudi Arabia, who was in his seventies, donated almost all of his fortune acquired during his life to charity. According to preliminary estimates, about 32 billion were written off from the billionaire’s accounts. He admitted that his example was Bill Gates, who also generously “shares” his personal fortune with his brainchild, the Gates Foundation. “This is my duty to humanity,” said the prince, mentioning that charity is an inherent honor of his faith - Islam.
The donated funds will be used to build hospitals, schools, orphanages, to help countries affected by natural disasters, to help single mothers and other groups of people in need.
Personal life
Not much is known about the personal life of Prince Al-Waleed: he was married three times, but to this moment not married. From his first wife, named Delal, the prince has a son and a daughter. His next chosen one was Iman al-Sudairi; in this marriage, Al-Walid did not have children. Amira Al-Tawil was chosen as the third wife - a very extraordinary person, although not of royal blood. Amira became the first princess in Saudi Arabia to refuse to wear the traditional dress of Saudi women, the abaya. The Princess actively supports organizations and projects fighting for women's rights around the world.
Unfortunately, in the winter of 2014, the marriage of Princess Amira and Prince Al-Walid was dissolved. Rumor has it that the couple entered into a marriage contract, according to which Princess Amira could not have children. Most likely, this was the main reason for the divorce.
The fortune of the cosmopolitan investor, nephew of the Saudi king, increased by $6.1 billion last year. Two-thirds of his capital is a 95% stake in the investment fund Kingdom Holding Company. For the five weeks preceding the cut-off date (at which capitalization is calculated for Forbes rating), the company's shares rose by 49%. Al-Waleed and Kingdom Holding Company own 3.5% of Citigroup, as well as large stakes in the Four Seasons and Fairmont hotel chains. In February, News Corp. acquired 9% of Al-Walid's media company Rotana, valuing it at $770 million. His palaces and real estate are worth more than $3 billion. He owns a jewelry collection, worth, according to his estimates, $730 million, and four aircraft, including an Airbus A380.
Al-Waleed ibn Talal is a member of the royal family of Saudi Arabia. He is the son of Prince Talal, whose parents were Saudi Arabia's founder Abdul Aziz Alsaud and Princess Mona El Sol.
Al-Walid ibn Talal received his education in the USA, first with a bachelor's degree in business management, then with a Doctor of Science and Doctor of Law. His property is the investment empire Kingdom Holding Company. He owns the largest stakes in many well-known companies. Among them are Worldcom, Motorola, AOL, Apple, etc. The prince’s sphere of interests also includes real estate. These are stakes in hotels in New York, Monaco and London, as well as chains entertainment complexes in France. His work schedule allows him to sleep only five hours a day. They say about him that despite his relationship with the ruling king, Alwaleed Alsaud tries not to get involved in politics.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is actively involved in charity work, including donating more than one hundred million dollars annually to organizations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa that deal with the needs of those in need. He is engaged in organizing educational centers in the Middle East for American students, and in the USA for Islamic ones. Two years ago he donated twenty million dollars to the Louvre to build a new wing dedicated to Islamic art. In the same year, the prince transferred twenty million dollars each to American universities at Harvard and Georgetown. The donation is among the 25 largest at Harvard and the second largest at Georgetown. University administrations stated that these charitable contributions will be used to improve curricula, and will also allow for the expansion of faculty in this area.
Prince Alwaleed promotes equal rights for women, the first in the country to hire a woman as an airplane pilot.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is the nephew of the current reigning king of Saudi Arabia. He made his fortune through investments and owns the Kingdom Holding Company. He makes all his investments through this company. The prince began making investments, which later brought him fabulous money, back in the late seventies, taking out a loan of three hundred thousand dollars. He is one of the richest people in the world.
It is said that he sleeps five hours a day, so much of his time is spent monitoring investments. He owns large shares in AOL, Apple Computers, Worldcom, Motorola, News Corporation Ltd and others. In 1990, Al-Walid ibn Talal acquired a controlling stake in Citicorp, which was then experiencing better times. Now the shares owned by the prince are worth ten billion dollars.
Spends a lot on charity. After terrible tragedy On September eleventh he offered New York a donation of ten million dollars. The proposal was rejected by the city mayor. In 2002, Prince Alwaleed donated half a million dollars to the Bush Sr. School Scholarship Fund. In December of the same year, he donated twenty-seven million dollars to the government of Saudi Arabia to pay the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, he donated a total of $5.3 million in goods and funds for support and restoration. Among other things, he plans to sell five percent of his Kingdom Holding Company to the public. The company's value is estimated at $17.6 billion. The shares will be offered at $2.73 per share. If the shares are in demand, the offer may be expanded to fifteen percent of the company's shares.
According to Al-Walid ibn Talal, modern world issues of tolerance and understanding between East and West are among the most important. He builds bridges between the Western and Islamic communities, organizing educational centers for American students at universities in the Middle East and for Islamic students in the United States.
The prince loves to spend money on beautiful and expensive things. He has luxury cars, and he usually buys them in two copies: one for himself, and exactly the same for his bodyguards.
Although Prince Al-Waleed ibn Talal did not usually interfere in politics, Lately he began to make critical statements against excessive traditionalism in Saudi Arabia, promoting free elections and equal rights for women.
The East does not live by Sheikha Moza alone. In hot and deserted Saudi Arabia, on November 6, 1983, Princess Amira Al-Tawil, the wife of Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, was born.
Princess Amira is the wife of Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. She is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation, an international non-profit organization, supporting programs and projects to combat poverty, the consequences of disasters, supporting women's rights and interfaith dialogue. The princess is also on the board of trustees of Silatech, an international organization for employment youth.
Princess Amira is a graduate of the University of New Haven (USA) with a degree in business administration. She defends women's rights, incl. and the right to drive, obtain education, and obtain employment without having to seek permission from a male relative. Amira herself has international driver license and drives the car herself on all trips abroad. Known for her impeccable dress sense, Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public like other women in the kingdom.
Lecture at a business school in Barcelona
The Princess is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation, an international non-profit organization supporting programs and projects to combat poverty, the effects of disasters, women's rights and interfaith dialogue.
Opening of the Forum of Arab Women Leaders
With husband
Amira is the first Saudi princess to refuse to wear the traditional abaya in public, like other women in the kingdom. The princess herself is not of royal blood.
Amira's husband Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, better known as Prince Al-Waleed, is a member of the Saudi royal family, an entrepreneur and an international investor. He made his fortune through investment projects and buying shares. In 2007, his net worth was estimated at $21.5 billion (according to Forbes magazine). Al-Walid ibn Talal al-Saud ranks 22nd on the list of the richest people in the world.
The prince does not hold public office; he is the grandson of King Abdulaziz and nephew of the current king. In addition, he became famous as the most progressive saudi prince, advocates for equal rights for women in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on board his own yacht with his son Khaled and daughter Reem. 1999
According to various sources, Amir is his 3rd or 4th wife (the only one at the moment; he never had several wives at the same time). They have no children; the prince has two children from his first marriage. They say in their marriage contract it is written that the princess cannot have children. To what extent this is true, such information often accompanies discussions between this couple.
Princess Amira arrived in New York for annual meeting as part of the Clinton Global Initiative. It was founded by Bill Clinton to combat global problems such as poverty and disease. She and her husband did something that she believed would help bridge the gap “between faiths and cultures.” The Al-Waleed Family Foundation helped open the Islamic art wing at the Louvre in Paris, donating approximately $20 million to the project. “Art opens people's minds in a different way,” says Princess Amira.
She likes to open minds. In her home country of Saudi Arabia, which is notorious for prohibiting women from driving, dating men, and where until recently they were prohibited from voting, Amira is a vocal advocate for women's rights. She says that divorced women in Saudi Arabia are required to give up custody of their daughters and that female lawyers are not allowed to appear in court.
She says she drives "in the desert" where she can get away with it. “Women in rural areas have much more freedom than in cities,” she notes. - They can drive. They don't wear abayas." She herself wore a yellow jacket to the meeting, her dark hair not covered with anything.
Amira says she is friends with Saudi activist Manal Al-Sharif, who became famous for boldly posting a video of herself driving a car on YouTube. For this she was sent to prison for a week. The princess calls Manal a “fearless woman” and believes that driving rules need to be changed.
“I think it’s enough for the king to say, ‘Women can drive. Those who don’t want to don’t have to do it,” she says. The Princess calls King Abdullah's recent decision to give women the right to vote very brave. municipal elections. At the same time, she notes that many religious figures were against it. “He believes in empowering women,” says the princess. “I think he is the person who can do it.”
Amira, 30, denies that her activism causes her to face problems in public spheres. “Everyone knows me,” she says. - I communicate with extreme conservatives and extreme liberals. My goal is to create not negative attitude, but unity."
In her opinion, the West often has the wrong idea about Saudi Arabia. Amira notes that only bad news, but the good ones are not. “56% of university graduates are women,” she says. - We watch the television series “Seinfeld”, “Friends”, presidential affairs - many Saudi Arabian residents love America. I swear to God, if you come, you will see Saudis watching American television.”
The princess mentions a recent Newsweek profile of a conservative woman in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing: “She doesn't represent all women... she's extremely conservative. And seventy percent of Saudis are people from the middle ground.” However, Amira says she respected the article because it showed the extreme conservatism of the woman's family. And she loves that one of the photos shows young Saudi college girls laughing and wearing fashionable sunglasses.
With Sheikha Moza
Princess Amira studied literature at the University. King Saud in Saudi Arabia, as well as management at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, although she lived in her home country while studying at an American university. According to Amira, she knew a professor at this university, and the learning process was in the nature of close cooperation with numerous phone calls and visits.
“What’s important about American education is that you get exposed to a lot of things—classical music, comparative religions…you learn about Hinduism and Buddhism,” she shares her impressions. But the princess refuses to talk about her personal life. She says she comes from a middle-class family and her mother is divorced.
Her latest project is the Opt4Unity initiative, which is implemented through the Al-Waleed Foundation. Like the Clinton Global Initiative, its idea is to bring together an “unusual team” of business leaders, investors and philanthropists to solve the world's problems in jobs, food and education. “We all talk about people who can make a difference,” says Princess Amira. “Let’s do something.”
Princess Amira receives the 2012 Woman Leader of the Year Award at the 11th Ceremony Women leaders Middle East" in Dubai.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
P.S.
On October 10, 2013, a large-scale and unprecedented event for the UAE took place in Dubai - the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, organized by the Italian edition of Vogue and the investment company Emaar Properties.
The event was held at The Dubai Mall and consisted of three parts. The first of them included fashion shows, exhibitions, movie screenings and much more. Guests of the mall could admire the collections of more than 250 global brands. Next, those present were treated to a gala dinner, which was also attended by celebrities from the world of fashion and art, and Italian opera tenor Vittorio Grigolo and American Ballet Theater dancer Roberto Bole presented their performances.
The third part of the evening was a charity auction with unusual lots: from a gold Versace pendant to a custom Valentino dress or a weekend at the Armani Hotel. As a result, during the whole day of sales at the event, about $1.4 million was collected, which will be donated to charitable organization Dubai Cares, which provides education to children from developing countries.
Princess Amira Al-Tawil was also present.
Elena Mordashova, ex-wife « steel king", lives in Moscow. Today she works at commercial company and does not want to discuss the fate and actions of her husband. She considers her attempt six years ago to take revenge for her ruined life and abandoned son to be stupid and naive. She is not going to repeat it. The one who has the right more money, she is sure.
Mordashov’s son, Ilya, did not want to take his father’s surname and took his mother’s surname. Ilya studies at the institute, where he is known not as the exiled heir to the steel empire, but as a taciturn and reserved guy. Ilya doesn’t tell anyone about the father he met last time more than seven years ago.
Former Severstal CEO Yuri Lipukhin after his “overthrow” from his post general director the plant gave only one great interview. Lipukhin's children and relatives protect their elderly father from the intrusive attention of the press and those who try to exploit former leader plant for attacks on Mordashov. Most Lipukhin lives in Sochi, reading books and tending to his garden.
In his new marriage, Alexei Mordashov had three children...
$21 billion
Prince al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud
Prince Al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud
The wealth of the ruling Saudi dynasty is not usually associated with business acumen, financial luck or hard work. The only exception is the multi-billion dollar fortune of Prince al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. Becoming chairman of his own company at age 14 and a billionaire at age 31, Prince al-Waleed, now 51, is a typical Western-style businessman, a self-made man with a net worth now estimated at $21 billion.
At the beginning of the 20th century, King Ibn Saud, with fire and sword, managed to unite the disparate tribes of the Arabian Peninsula into one state. Since 1932, the Saudi dynasty has been the ruling royal dynasty Saudi Arabia and the custodian of one of the main Muslim shrines - the Kaaba temple in Mecca. The Al-Saud clan numbers more than a thousand princes and princesses. The most famous of them, Prince al-Walid, stands out not only for the size of his fortune, but also for his high hierarchical position in the clan: he is the nephew of the current king of Saudi Arabia.
Al-Waleed was born in 1957 from the marriage of a prince of the blood of the royal family of Saudi Arabia and the daughter of the first prime minister of Lebanon. The parents divorced when the child was three years old, and the boy lived with his mother in Beirut until his 11th birthday. The young scion of the royal family was sent to America to receive an education. Here the prince graduated from Menlo College in San Francisco (he has a bachelor's degree in business administration) and a master's degree in social sciences Syracuse University in New York.
The adherent and guardian of Wahhabism in America became addicted to morning jogging, loved Coca-Cola, mastered the ability to wear business suits and, they say, was even an active participant in riotous student parties.
The prince began his business activities in 1979 by providing intermediary services to foreign companies that wanted to do business with Saudi Arabia. Given the prince's closeness to the royal family and his informal influence in the region, the start was successful. In 1980, al-Waleed bin Talal established the Mamlaka company (in English, Kingdom). He himself says that he created the business with the help of $30,000 borrowed from his father and a $400,000 loan secured by a house donated by his parent. Al-Walid continued to actively take advantage of his privileged position, receiving lucrative construction contracts and buying at reduced prices land for subsequent resale. However, according to al-Walid himself, his contracts and real estate transactions in the Riyadh region were nothing more than “a blip on the radar screen.” The metaphor used by the prince cannot be called anything other than a Freudian slip: at that time the war occupied the prince even more than business.
The war in Afghanistan was sacred to devout Muslims. The Saudi dynasty, at the head of Wahhabism, could not remain aloof from the events in Afghanistan. And al-Walid actively helped the Afghan Mujahideen in the fight against Soviet Union. In 1981, the prince even had a chance to visit training camps in Peshawar, where the Mujahideen were trained combat training. However, after withdrawal Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 and began civil war in this country, al-Walid stopped sending money there. According to him, he made his last donation to the Mujahideen in April 1990, giving them $5.4 million.