Alwaght- The Saudi crown prince, who detained many of his country’s wealthiest men under guise of an anti-corruption crusade, has been revealed as the buyer of "the world's most expensive home."
According to reports, The Chateau Louis XIV, a 50,000 sq ft palace near Versailles in Louveciennes, France was bought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for €275 million $300 million) in 2015.
The home was constructed in three years by developer Emad Khashoggi, the nephew of the late arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. Emad tore down a majestic but crumbling 19th century chateau at the site to build the new one.
The buyer was not identified at the time, but the New York Times now reports that its investigation shows that the purchaser was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The newspaper’s probe showed a paper trail that leads from the purchase of the castle, which Forbes magazine has called the "world's most expensive home,” to the heir to the Saudi throne.
The claim is likely to embarrass the 32-year-old prince who is preaching fiscal austerity at home while leading a major crackdown on corruption and self-enrichment by the oil-rich kingdom’s elite.
The 2015 purchase appears to be one of several extravagant acquisitions — including a $500 million yacht and a $450 million Leonardo da Vinci painting.
Saudi-watchers say it is risky for Crown Prince Mohammed who claims to be leading an alleged crackdown on corruption and preaching fiscal austerity to pay record prices to add to his personal collection of the world’s most expensive things. Such actions betray him as yet another royal stealing from the wealth of his people instead of a reformer as he tends to portray himself.
