More money, more power

Saudi Arabia’s MBS: How the crown prince got his start in business

In depth

This article is part of the dossier: Inside the rise of Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman

By Jihâd Gillon
Posted on Wednesday, 10 February 2021 16:07, updated on Thursday, 11 February 2021 20:09

Mohammed Bin Salman and his father © Courtesy of Al Saud Family

Mohammed bin Salman realised very early on that he would need a great deal of money if he wanted to have any political sway in the Saudi kingdom. Accordingly, he decided to throw himself into the business world in his own bold, rough and tumble way." In the third part of our series, we look at how the teen MBS veered onto a new path.

This is part 3 of 6-part series.

During a conversation with a cousin, the young prince came to the sudden realisation that his father, then-prince Salman (he would become king in 2015), was far from what the Saudi royal family considered wealthy. To make matters worse, Salman was in debt, having borrowed money from family members and several businessmen.

Small private prison

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