You’ve probably seen the headlines over the decades. The shimmering private 747. The high-stakes bets on Citigroup when everyone else was running for the exits. The guy who basically owned a chunk of your digital life before "social media" was even a buzzword. Honestly, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal isn't just another royal with a big checkbook. He's a survivor in the most literal, corporate, and political sense of the word.
As we move through 2026, the landscape in Saudi Arabia has shifted dramatically under Vision 2030. Yet, Alwaleed remains a fixture. He isn't the same "disruptor" he was in the 90s, but he’s still here, and that’s the interesting part. While the world's eyes often land on the Public Investment Fund (PIF) these days, Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) is quietly pivoting into the future.
The AI Pivot and the Musk Connection
Most people still associate Alwaleed with old-school hospitality and banking. Think Four Seasons. Think Citigroup. But look at where his money is flowing right now.
He didn't just stay in X (formerly Twitter) because he liked the platform. He doubled down. Kingdom Holding recently pumped hundreds of millions into xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture. It’s a classic Alwaleed move—spotting a volatile but high-ceiling play and anchoring himself to it.
He’s basically betting that the next decade won't be won by oil, but by compute power.
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His relationship with Musk is fascinating. They’ve gone from public sparring partners to major co-investors. Remember when Alwaleed initially rejected Musk’s Twitter buyout offer? He called it too low. Then, he rolled his $1.9 billion stake into the private company. Fast forward to 2026, and he's one of the loudest cheerleaders for the X-xAI merger. He recently noted that his investment in this tech ecosystem could soon hit the $5 billion mark.
It's a gutsy move.
Why the "Sleeping Prince" Confusion Matters
Before we get deeper into the business side, we need to clear something up. If you search for "Alwaleed bin Talal" today, you'll see tragic news about the "Sleeping Prince."
That isn't him.
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It’s his nephew, Prince Alwaleed bin Khalid bin Talal. The younger prince tragically passed away in July 2025 after spending 20 years in a coma following a car accident in London. It’s a heartbreak that has loomed over the family for two decades. People often mix them up because of the name, but the elder Alwaleed—the billionaire investor—is very much active and steering his empire.
The Kingdom Holding Portfolio: A 2026 Snapshot
What does he actually own now? It's a mix of legacy icons and aggressive new bets.
- Tech & AI: Beyond X and xAI, he still holds stakes in Meta, Uber, and Snap Inc. He’s also looking at the crypto space more seriously than he used to.
- Hospitality: This is the bedrock. He owns the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris and a massive chunk of the Four Seasons brand itself (alongside Bill Gates).
- The Jeddah Tower: This is the big one. The "tallest building in the world" project that stalled for years? It’s back on. Kingdom Holding signed major contracts in late 2024 and 2025 to finally finish the 1,000-meter-plus spire. It’s a statement of intent.
- Aviation: Flynas, the low-cost carrier he backs, is eyeing a massive IPO on the Tadawul (the Saudi stock exchange).
He’s moved from being a pure "Western-focused" investor to a bridge. He sold about 16.9% of Kingdom Holding to the Saudi PIF back in 2022 for $1.6 billion. That was a turning point. It signaled that he wasn't just an outsider or a "private" billionaire anymore; he’s now a strategic partner in the Kingdom’s national transformation.
The Ritz-Carlton Legacy
You can’t talk about Alwaleed without mentioning the 2017 "anti-corruption" crackdown. He spent months detained in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton.
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Most people thought that was the end.
Instead, he emerged and went right back to work. He calls it a "confirmed understanding" with the government. He’s a pragmatist. While some billionaires might have fled or stayed bitter, Alwaleed aligned himself with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision. He’s frequently seen at major events like the Future Investment Initiative (FII), looking every bit the elder statesman of Saudi finance.
Actionable Insights: The Alwaleed Playbook for 2026
If you’re looking at how this man manages wealth, there are three things you can actually learn and apply:
- Patience over Panic: He held Citigroup through the 2008 crash. He held Twitter through the Musk chaos. He plays the 20-year game, not the 20-minute one.
- Hybrid Diversification: Notice how he balances "yield" assets (hotels, banks) with "growth" assets (AI, tech). He never puts all his eggs in the Silicon Valley basket.
- The Power of Branding: Whether it’s the tallest building or the most famous hotel, he buys "unreplaceable" assets. You can build a new hotel, but you can’t build another George V.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is 70 now. He’s seen the oil boom, the tech bubble, the Ritz-Carlton detention, and the rise of AI. He’s still standing because he knows how to adapt. In a world where "old money" usually gets disrupted and disappears, he’s found a way to stay in the room where it happens.
Keep an eye on the Jeddah Tower progress this year. If that needle hits the sky as planned, it’ll be the ultimate monument to a man who refuses to be counted out.