Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud
Al Waleed in 2015
Years active	1979–present
Alma mater	Menlo College Syracuse University
Born	(1955-03-07) 7 March 1955 (age 70) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Spouse	Dalal bint Saud Al Saud ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1994)​ Iman Al Sudairi ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 1997)​ Kholood Al Anazi ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2004)​ Ameera al-Taweel ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2013)​
Issue	Prince Khaled Princess Reem
House	Al Saud
Father	Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Mother	Mona El Solh
Occupation	Chairman and CEO of Kingdom Holding Company

Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud (Arabic: الوليد بن طلال آل سعود; born 7 March 1955) is a very successful Saudi Arabian businessman and investor. He is also a philanthropist, which means he donates a lot of money to good causes. He is a member of the House of Saud, the royal family of Saudi Arabia.

In 2008, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Al Waleed is the grandson of Abdulaziz, who was the first king of Saudi Arabia. He is also the grandson of Riad Al Solh, who was the first prime minister of Lebanon.

Al Waleed started the Kingdom Holding Company, where he is the boss and owns most of the company. This company invests in many different areas. These include hotels, media, entertainment, and technology. In 2013, his company was worth over $18 billion. He owns famous hotels like the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. He also owns part of the Plaza Hotel in New York. Some people have called him the "Arabian Warren Buffett" because he is so good at investing.

In November 2017, Al Waleed and other important Saudis were arrested in Saudi Arabia. This was part of an effort by the Saudi government to fight corruption. Al Waleed was released in January 2018 after almost three months.

Early Life and Education

Al Waleed bin Talal was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 7, 1955. His father was Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, and his mother was Mona El Solh. His father was Saudi Arabia's finance minister in the early 1960s.

Al Waleed's parents separated when he was seven years old. He then lived with his mother in Lebanon. As a boy, he sometimes ran away from home for a day or two. He even slept in unlocked cars. Later, he went to the King Abdulaziz Military Academy in Riyadh.

In 1974, he went back to Lebanon for school. He studied business administration at Menlo College in California. He finished his degree in just two and a half years in 1979. Later, in 1985, he earned a master's degree from Syracuse University. He finished this degree in only eleven months.

Business Career

Al Waleed started his business career in 1979. He returned to Saudi Arabia during a time when oil money was making the country rich. He began with a small office in Riyadh and $30,000 from his father. He formed a company called Kingdom Establishment in 1980.

When his first money ran out, he got a large loan from a bank. Instead of just taking a fee for helping with deals, he wanted a share in the projects. His first big success was in 1982. He partnered with a South Korean construction company. He used the money he earned to invest in real estate and the stock market.

Al Waleed became known for buying companies that were not doing well. He would then help them become successful. For example, he bought a bank called United Saudi Commercial Bank. He merged it with other banks, and it became a leading bank in the Middle East.

By 1989, he was worth $1.4 billion. He owned parts of many companies, including hotels and media groups. When he invested internationally, he looked for "established brands going through hard times." He would study them carefully and wait for the right moment to buy.

He invested a lot of money in Citigroup, a major bank. Even though it was struggling, he believed it had great potential. His investment helped save the bank. He became the largest individual shareholder in the biggest U.S. financial institution at that time.

In 1995, his company, Kingdom Establishment, became the Kingdom Holding Company. Al Waleed announced plans to build the Kingdom Centre, a hospital, a school, and a city. He also invested in media companies like Mediaset and the Arab Radio and Television Network.

He bought a share in Apple Inc. in 1997, becoming its largest shareholder. He also invested in other technology and media companies. These included Motorola, Netscape, and News Corporation. His investments showed he believed in the future of technology and media.

Al Waleed also invested heavily in hotels. He bought stakes in Fairmont and Four Seasons. He also bought the famous George V hotel in Paris and spent a lot of money making it new again. He owns the Savoy Hotel in London.

In 2011, Al Waleed announced plans to build the Kingdom Tower. This tower is planned to be the world's tallest building. In December 2011, he invested $300 million in Twitter. This gave his company a share of more than 3% in the social media company.

Philanthropy

Al Waleed is known for his generous donations to charity. In July 1997, he invested in a company that helps develop Palestine. He also helped start the Jerusalem Development and Investment Company.

In 2002, he gave $500,000 to help fund a scholarship at Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. He also donated a large sum of money to Palestinian families. In 2004, he gave $17 million to help victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

On July 1, 2015, Al Waleed announced that he plans to donate his entire fortune to charity. This is about $32 billion. He said the money would be used for humanitarian projects. These projects include helping women and young people. They also include disaster relief and fighting diseases. He wants to build understanding between different cultures.

Donation after 11 September Attacks

After the 11 September attacks in the United States, Al Waleed offered $10 million to New York City. However, the Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, returned the donation. This happened because Al Waleed made a statement. He suggested that the U.S. government should change its policies in the Middle East. Mayor Giuliani disagreed, saying there was no excuse for the attacks.

Western Universities

Al Waleed has given money to many universities around the world. In 2005, he gave Georgetown University $20 million. This money helped create a center for understanding between Muslims and Christians. He also gave money to Edinburgh University to study Islam.

Other universities that have received his support include University of Cambridge and Harvard University. He also supports his old university, Syracuse University.

First Saudi Female Pilot

Al Waleed supports women's rights in Saudi Arabia. He helped train Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi. She became the first Saudi woman to be a commercial airline pilot. He said he fully supports Saudi women working in all kinds of jobs. Al-Hindi was certified to fly in Saudi Arabia in 2014.

Assets

Kingdom 5KR

Al Waleed owns many impressive things. He has one of the largest private yachts in the world. It is called the Kingdom 5KR. This yacht was once owned by Donald Trump. Al Waleed bought it after Trump faced financial problems.

He has also ordered an even bigger yacht. It will be about 173 meters long and cost over $500 million. He owns several private airplanes. These include a Boeing 747 and an Airbus A321. He was also the first person to order a giant Airbus A380 private jet, but he sold it before it was delivered.

His assets include a 95% share in Kingdom Holding Company. He also owns most of Rotana Video and Audio Visual Company. He has shares in Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation and News Corporation. He also owns parts of Citigroup and two newspapers in Lebanon. In 2009, he was listed as the richest person in Saudi Arabia.

Palaces

Al Waleed owns three palaces. His main home is the Kingdom Palace in Riyadh. It is very large, with 317 rooms. It has Italian marble, silk carpets, and gold-plated faucets. It has four kitchens, including one just for desserts. These kitchens can feed 2,000 people quickly. The palace also has a large swimming pool and a cinema.

He also owns the Kingdom Resort in Riyadh. It has three lakes and beautiful gardens. A third palace, the Kingdom Oasis, is being built. It will have a huge lake and a private zoo.

Awards

Al Waleed has received many awards for his work. In 2002, he received the highest honor in Saudi Arabia, the Order of King Abdulaziz. He has also received awards from Lebanon, Maldives, and Palestine. In 2010, he got the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Innovation. He has also received top honors from Bahrain, Nepal, and Sierra Leone.

Honors

Saudi Arabian national honours

Ribbon bar	Honour
	Member 1st Class of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud

Foreign honors

Ribbon bar	Country	Honour
	Bahrain	Member 1st Class of the Khalifiyyeh Order of Bahrain
	Benin	Grand Officer of the National Order of Benin
	Brunei	Member 1st Class of the Family Order of Laila Utama
	Bulgaria	Member 1st Class of the Order of the Balkan Mountains
	Burkina Faso	Commander of the National Order of Burkina Faso
	Burundi	Grand Cross of the National Order of the Republic of Burundi
	Chad	Grand Officer of the National Order of Chad
	Comoros	Commander of the Star of Anjouan
	Central African Republic	Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit of Central African Republic
	Djibouti	Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Star of Djibouti
	France	Commander of the Legion of Honour
	Gabon	Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit of Gabon
	Gambia	Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic of The Gambia
	Ghana	Companion of the Order of the Volta
	Guinea	Commander of the National Order of Merit of Guinea
	Equatorial Guinea	Grand Cross of the Order of Independence
	Jordan	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan
	Ivory Coast	Grand Cross of the National Order of the Ivory Coast
	Kenya	Grand Cordon of the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya
	Lebanon	Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar
	Liberia	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Africa
	Madagascar	Grand Cross of the National Order of Madagascar
	Mauritania	Commander of the National Order of Merit of Mauritania
	Maldives	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin
	Mali	Grand Officer of the National Order of Mali
	Malta	Companion of the National Order of Merit
	Monaco	Grand Officer of the Order of Grimaldi
	Morocco	Grand Cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite
	Netherlands	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
	Niger	Grand Cordon of the National Order of Merit of Niger
	Palestine	Grand Cordon of the Order of the State of Palestine
	Pakistan	Second Class of Nishan-e-Pakistan
	Philippines	Grand Officer of Order of Sikatuna
	Senegal	Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion
	Sierra Leone	Grand Gordon of the Order of the Republic
	South Korea	Sungnye Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit
	Sudan	Grand Cordon of the Republic of the Sudan
	Syria	Member 1st Class of the Order of the Umayyads
	Taiwan	Grand Cordon of the Order of Brilliant Star
	Togo	Grand Officer of the Order of Mono
	Tunisia	Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic
	Tunisia	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Seventh of November
	Vietnam	Medal of the Friendship Order
	Uganda	Companion of the Most Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa

Personal Life

His first wife, Dalal, as a child, standing between her father King Saud and John F. Kennedy, 1962

Al Waleed has been married several times. His first marriage was in 1976 when he was 19 years old. His first wife was his cousin, Princess Dalal bint Saud Al Saud. They have two children together: Prince Khaled, born in 1978, and Princess Reem, born in 1982. They later divorced in 1994.

He has been married to other women since then. His fourth wife was Ameera al-Taweel. They were married for about six years before divorcing in 2014. Al Waleed has stated that he still has great respect for her.

Images for kids

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  The Savoy Hotel in London is owned by Al Waleed

See Also

In Spanish: Al Waleed Bin Talal para niños

• List of Lebanese people in Saudi Arabia