Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud
Saudi billionaire investor and founder of Kingdom Holding Company.
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Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud (born 7 March 1955) is a Saudi Arabian billionaire businessman, investor, and member of the House of Saud. He is a grandson of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and of Riad Al Solh, Lebanon’s first prime minister. He founded, serves as CEO of, and owns 95 percent of Kingdom Holding Company, a Saudi conglomerate valued at over $18 billion in 2013. His holdings include Paris’ Four Seasons Hotel George V and a stake in New York’s Plaza Hotel. Time magazine has called him the “Arabian Warren Buffett.” In November 2017, Forbes ranked him the world’s seventh-richest person, with a net worth of $39.8 billion.
Al Waleed was born in Jeddah to Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz and Mona El Solh. His father served as Saudi finance minister in the early 1960s before going into exile for advocating political reform. His paternal grandmother, an Armenian, was given to King Abdulaziz at age twelve. His parents separated when he was seven, and he lived with his mother in Lebanon. He attended schools in Beirut and later the King Abdulaziz Military Academy. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Menlo College in California in two and a half years, and a master’s in social science from Syracuse University in eleven months.
He began his business career in 1979 with $30,000 from his father, forming Kingdom Establishment. After that money ran out, he secured a $300,000 loan from Saudi American Bank. His first major success came in 1982 through a partnership with a South Korean construction firm. He reinvested commissions from construction into real estate and stocks. He executed a hostile takeover of United Saudi Commercial Bank in 1986, later merging it with Saudi Cairo Bank and Saudi American Bank to create a leading regional bank. He also took majority stakes in Al-Azizia Panda and National Industrialization Company.
By 1989 his net worth reached $1.4 billion, with holdings in Canary Wharf, Four Seasons Hotels, and News Corporation. He focused on struggling established brands. In 1991, he invested $590 million in Citicorp, later increasing his stake to about 15 percent, becoming the largest shareholder in the largest U.S. financial institution. He sold shares in 1993 to fall below the 10 percent threshold but remained a major investor.
On 4 November 2017, Al Waleed was arrested in Saudi Arabia as part of Crown Pr
- field
- Business, investment
- nationality
- Saudi Arabian
Lore & Background
Al Waleed bin Talal was born in Jeddah to Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz and Mona El Solh. His paternal grandfather was King Abdulaziz, the first king of Saudi Arabia, and his maternal grandfather was Riad Al Solh, Lebanon's first prime minister. His parents separated when he was seven, and he lived with his mother in Lebanon. He later acquired the underperforming United Saudi Commercial Bank, merging it with other banks to create a leading Middle Eastern bank. He also purchased stakes in Saks Fifth Avenue, Fairmont, the Plaza Hotel, the George V hotel in Paris, Euro Disney, Apple Inc., Motorola, Netscape, and News Corporation.
Reader's Guide
Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud is a Saudi royal, billionaire businessman, and investor who founded and leads the Kingdom Holding Company, owning 95% of it. His business approach involves acquiring stakes in established brands facing difficulties, waiting for the right moment to invest. This strategy led him to invest heavily in Citicorp in 1991, committing roughly half his wealth at the time to a convertible security, making him the largest shareholder in the largest U.S. financial institution. His holdings have included major stakes in hotels like Paris’ Four Seasons Hotel George V and New York’s Plaza Hotel, as well as technology and media companies. In 2013, his company’s market capitalization exceeded $18 billion. He has been called the “Arabian Warren Buffett” by Time magazine, which listed him among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2008. In November 2017, Forbes ranked him the seventh-richest person globally, with a net worth of $39.8 billion. That same month, he was arrested in Saudi Arabia during a purge, facing allegations of money laundering, bribery, and extorting officials. He was held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh and released in January 2018 after a financial settlement. He was subsequently dropped from the World’s Billionaires list due to lack of current information. From 2013 to 2021, he appeared on Gulf Business’s list of the top 100 most powerful Arabs.
Did You Know?
- Al Waleed is a grandson of both King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Riad Al Solh, Lebanon's first prime minister.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud's main business role?
He founded the Kingdom Holding Company and serves as its CEO, holding a 95 percent ownership stake in the Saudi conglomerate.
What are Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud's most notable investments?
His portfolio includes major stakes in Citicorp, Apple, Four Seasons Hotels, and News Corporation, spanning banking, technology, hospitality, and media.
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