Saudi Prince Alwaleed buys his own A380

[JODO 2]

Saudi Prince Alwaleed buys his own A380

Mon 12 Nov 2007, 13:24 GMTBy Tim Hepher

PARIS, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has become the first person to buy the ultimate status symbol -- his own A380 superjumbo.

Planemaker Airbus named the Saudi royal, whose interests span hotels and banking to the operator of Disneyland Paris, as the mystery buyer of a VIP version dubbed the Flying Palace.

The buyer's identity had been secret for months but was unveiled to coincide with the Dubai air show on Monday.

The price of the deal was not disclosed. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich recently denied buying the plane, which costs over $300 million to ordinary airlines.

Prince Alwaleed confirmed the order despite seeing $2.5 billion wiped off his personal fortune in the past month due to a slide in the shares of U.S. banking group Citigroup.

Prince Alwaleed owns around 95 percent of Kingdom, which in turn owns 3.6 percent of the U.S. banking giant, reeling from subprime mortgage losses and the global credit crisis.

He is the world's 13th richest person, according to Forbes magazine, and Citigroup's largest individual shareholder.

He already owns a Boeing 747-400, the newest type of the original jumbo jet currently in service.

[Jasman0717 9]

Unbelieveable

[Amby 490]

I want one too too bad I don't have that kind of cash

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Shite. And here I am all excited because I found a wool Ralph Lauren skirt at Value Village for 4.99

[Kevin and 10]

Just think of the fuel consumption.

[Nagishkaw 510]

'Dirty, Rotten, Stinkin', Filthy, Rich'

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Good for him. A lot of people got paid for a while because of this single man and his unimaginably humongous ego. God Bless Him.

[Drew and Tik 0]

Some people have way too much money. He should give some to me!

[Zee Bee 61]

Two words: global warming.

[russ 1]

Just think of the fuel consumption.

Yeah, good thing it only costs about $2 a barrel in Saudi. That's about 6 cents a gallon for him (as Jet-A, way better than the $2.50+ a gallon airlines pay here.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I want one too too bad I don't have that kind of cash

wanna split one? maybe a VJ jet on a timeshare.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

I want one too too bad I don't have that kind of cash

wanna split one? maybe a VJ jet on a timeshare.

You are so crazy...

[Alt name 1]

HEHE I love it. THAT's why crude is 100 bucks a bbl......

OH, no, he probably bought some carbon credits. WE all know that global warming is caused by fat, lazy, rich Americans. You know, the ones who feed the rest of the world? (nominating the Sheik for a Nobel Peace Prize)

Two words: global warming.

[eric&gen 0]

Does he live inside the jets lol might as well make a home out of them for that kind of cash lol.

[~krakatoa~ 27]

Expensive maintainance too, jet fuel sucks.