With a £400million superyacht, a French chateau dubbed the world's most expensive home and links to a record-breaking £340million painting, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince has long been associated with staggering extravagance.
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Prince → dub → extravagance
But Mohammed bin Salman, 41, is now sheltering in heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers as Houthi rebels bombard Riyadh, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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rebels → shelter → Journal
The reported retreat offers a stark contrast to the gilded lifestyle of the kingdom's de facto ruler, whose purchases have included a floating palace with two helipads and a mansion with iPhone-controlled fountains, and whose celebrity connections include Johnny Depp and Lindsay Lohan.
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connections → report → Depp
The prince, known as MBS, is currently facing a domestic crisis as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis intensify attacks on his country's airports and oil infrastructure while threatening vital Red Sea shipping routes.
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Houthis → know → routes
For a man whose rule has become synonymous with extraordinary wealth, palaces and superyachts, the renewed turmoil in Yemen is a reminder that even MBS’s world of luxury and power remains vulnerable to the instability on his kingdom’s doorstep.
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world → become → doorstep
That wealth once reportedly saw him purchase the 439ft superyacht Serene in 2015 after spending just half a day on board.
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him → see → board
He paid a Russian vodka tycoon €429million, then around £383million, roughly twice its original price.
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He → pay → 429million
Alongside its two helicopter pads, the vessel boasts an underwater viewing chamber, a cinema, a giant jacuzzi and a sweeping spiral staircase overlooking a grand piano.
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vessel → boast → piano
Microsoft founder Bill Gates had previously rented the yacht for $5million, then around £3.8million a week, according to reports.
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Gates → rent → reports
According to Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck's book Blood and Oil, a former helicopter hangar was turned into a nightclub with poles for dancers.
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hangar → accord → dancers
as they arrive at a dinner held in the East Room of the White House on November 18, 2025
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they → arrive → November
His celebrity connections have also attracted attention, including his friendship with actress Lindsay Lohan
Known as MBS, the prince reportedly bought the 439ft superyacht Serene for €429million in 2015 after spending just half a day on board
Chateau Louis XIV near Versailles, which Mohammed bin Salman, bought for more than $300million, then around £230million
The authors say the crew are barred from entering the nightclub, while multimedia equipment allows the vessel to switch from hosting political summits to private parties.
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vessel → include → parties
MBS' reported spending spree that year also included Chateau Louis XIV near Versailles, bought for more than $300million, then around £230million.
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spree → report → 300million
Described at the time as the world's most expensive home, the property looks like a 17th century palace but is a modern mansion built after a developer demolished its 19th-century predecessor.
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developer → describe → predecessor
Set in 57 acres of landscaped grounds, it features gilded interiors, frescoed ceilings, a cinema and a swimming pool.
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it → Set → interiors
An underwater chamber in its moat allows visitors to watch fish swimming overhead, while fountains, lighting and air-conditioning can be controlled by iPhone.
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fountains → allow → iPhone
The grounds also include a maze and lavish fountains.
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grounds → include → maze
Kim Kardashian reportedly considered the chateau as a venue for her wedding to Kanye West.
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Kardashian → consider → West
The New York Times reported that royal advisers confirmed MBS was its ultimate owner, although the purchase was concealed through shell companies.
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purchase → report → companies
Saudi officials declined to comment.
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officials → decline → ?
His French property interests also reportedly included Le Rouvray, a 620-acre estate, where he later sought permission to build a hunting compound.
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he → include → compound
Satellite images obtained by Business Insider have also revealed a lavish palace complex on the Red Sea coast within Saudi Arabia's $2trillion Neom megacity project, featuring private beaches, sprawling gardens, a golf course and 10 helipads.
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images → obtain → beaches
The outlet identified the sprawling development as likely belonging to Mohammed bin Salman, citing public data and a 2018 Reuters report detailing plans for five royal palaces with Moroccan-style architecture, a marina and a golf course.
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outlet → identify → architecture
The prince has also been linked to Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, which fetched a record $450.3million, then around £340million, at auction in 2017.
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which → link → 2017
Reports identified another Saudi prince as a buyer acting on his behalf, although Abu Dhabi's department of culture and tourism subsequently said it had acquired the work.
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it → identify → work
Saudi Arabia's then Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meets Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the tech giant's headquarters in Silicon Valley, U.S. June 22, 2016
The prince has also been linked to Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, which fetched a record $450.3million, then around £340million, at auction in 2017
He also cultivated ties with Donald Trump, whose first foreign trip as a US president in 2017 included a welcome at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton featuring a 50ft-high projection of his face
U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Russias president Vladimir Putin Russia v Saudi Arabia in 2018
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Saudi sports minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal in 2023
The Saudi prince's new palace in Neom
The painting depicts Christ with one hand raised in blessing and the other holding a glass orb.
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other → meet → orb
Its sale achieved the highest price ever paid for an artwork at auction.
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sale → achieve → auction
Beyond the trophy purchases, Blood and Oil details an extravagant private getaway in the Maldives in July 2015.
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Blood → detail → July
The authors claim MBS spent $50million, then around £38million, hiring the island resort of Velaa for a month, with around 150 women flown in to join a few dozen male guests.
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women → claim → guests
Performers included Pitbull, Psy and DJ Afrojack, while the resort offered private pools, butlers and even a snow machine.
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resort → include → pools
The island had around four dozen private villas, many built on stilts over the Indian Ocean, allowing the prince and his entourage to holiday away from public view.
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prince → have → view
Staff were banned from carrying smartphones and given $5,000 bonuses, according to the book.
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Staff → ban → book
The authors say two employees were fired for breaking the phone rule.
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employees → say → rule
Parties continued until dawn, with the men sleeping through much of the day before emerging again in the afternoon.
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men → continue → afternoon
On one evening, MBS reportedly climbed on stage during Afrojack's performance and took over the DJ decks to play his own choice of records.
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MBS → climb → records
But the gathering reportedly broke up within a week after news of the prince's presence leaked.
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news → break → presence
His international connections have extended well beyond his private island parties.
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connections → extend → parties
During a 2018 visit to Britain he met the late Queen, while his aides spent billions on billboard space featuring his image and positive slogans.
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aides → meet → image
He also cultivated ties with Donald Trump, whose first foreign trip as a US president in 2017 included a welcome at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton featuring a 50ft-high projection of his face.
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trip → cultivate → face
MBS has also been photographed smiling alongside Jeffrey Epstein in an ornate room displaying portraits and a flag.
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MBS → photograph → portraits
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
