Was bin Laden rich?

The broad outlines of bin Laden's early life are well known: One of 55 children of the many wives of his father, he was a rich young millionaire who went to Afghanistan to bankroll the struggle against the Soviets.

How did bin Laden get rich?

He made his initial fortune from exclusive rights to all mosque and other religious building construction in Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries. Until 1967, Mohammed bin Laden held exclusive responsibility for restorations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Did Osama bin Laden have money?

The bin Laden family made $5 billion in the construction industry, of which Osama later inherited around $25–30 million. Bin Laden was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim. From 1968 to 1976, he attended the elite Al-Thager Model School. He studied economics and business administration at King Abdulaziz University.

Was bin Laden a billionaire?

Bin Laden was one of more than 50 children of Muhammad bin Laden, a self-made billionaire who, after immigrating to Saudi Arabia from Yemen as a labourer, rose to direct major construction projects for the Saudi royal family.

What was bin Laden net worth?

Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden , the suspected mastermind of the coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, is the heir to a Saudi billionaire, who himself controls a fortune widely estimated at $300 million.

OSAMA BIN LADEN | Before They Were Gone

Where are bin Laden's wives today?

The 2011 raid also killed Khalid, Osama's son by Seham. After a year in Pakistani detention, Khairiah, Seham and Amal, who had all witnessed the killing of their husband, were deported, along with 11 children and grandchildren, to Saudi Arabia. Today they live in a compound outside Jeddah.

Is Osama bin Laden's house still there?

After the operation was completed and bin Laden was killed, Pakistan demolished the structure in February 2012.

How many wives did Osama have?

At 17 he married a 15-year-old cousin. Bergen provides a family tree with the names of his five wives and 24 children. At the time of his death in 2011, his wives ranged in age from 28 to 62 and his children from 3 to 35. When it came to his family, bin Laden was a man of contradictions.

What did Osama do?

Osama bin Laden—also known as Usama bin Laden—was a violent terrorist and mass murderer who used bombings and bloodshed to advance his extremist goals.

Was bin Laden a CIA agent?

They deny that the CIA or other American officials had contact with Bin Laden, let alone armed, trained, coached or indoctrinated him. American scholars and reporters have called the idea of a CIA-backed Al Qaeda "nonsense", "sheer fantasy", and a "common myth".

How did us find Osama?

American intelligence officials discovered the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden by tracking one of his couriers. Information was collected from Guantánamo Bay detainees, who gave intelligence officers the courier's pseudonym as Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, and said that he was a protégé of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Why did Osama bin Laden have so many wives?

According to Wisal al Turabi, bin Laden married them because they were "spinsters", who "were going to go without marrying in this world. So he married them for the Word of God". His known wives were: Najwa Ghanhem (born 1960), a Syrian, also known as Umm Abdullah (mother of Abdullah).

Who died in the Osama raid?

Osama bin Laden was killed in the raid and initial versions said three other men and a woman were killed as well: bin Laden's adult son Khalid, bin Laden's courier Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, al-Kuwaiti's brother Abrar, and Abrar's wife Bushra. Conflicting reports of an initial firefight exist.

What was Osama bin Laden's goal?

These motivations were published in bin Laden's November 2002 "Letter to America", he said that al-Qaeda's motives for the attacks included Western support for attacking Muslims in Somalia, supporting Russian atrocities against Muslims in Chechnya, supporting the Indian oppression against Muslims in Kashmir, condoning ...

What were Osama bin Laden's last words?

As U.S. Navy Seals burst into his fortress-like compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, nearly one year ago, Osama bin Laden turned to the youngest of his four wives and said his last words: “Don't turn on the light.”

Who found bin Laden?

Eleven years ago, a team of two dozen Navy SEALs flew under the cover of darkness into Abbottabad, Pakistan to carry out one of the most important counter-terrorism missions in history – to capture or kill Osama bin Laden.

Why did Osama bin Laden go to Afghanistan?

Shortly after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, bin Laden, who viewed the invasion as an act of aggression against Islam, began traveling to meet Afghan resistance leaders and raise funds for the resistance.

Who funded the Taliban?

Saudi-based charities, such as the International Islamic Relief Organization, gave funding to the Taliban during its rise. The Saudi Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice supported its new Afghan equivalent.

Did bin Laden ever visit America?

Although some scholars believe that bin Laden took his new wife to visit the cities of Indianapolis and Los Angeles in 1978, all later suggestions of bin Laden entering the United States were typically treated by authorities with skepticism, but were followed up at least cursorily.

What religion was Osama bin Laden?

Osama bin Laden: The Pan-Islamist Idea

For bin Laden, Islam was more than just a religion: It shaped his political beliefs and influenced every decision he made.

How many kids did bin Laden have?

Bin Laden, who was one of 55 children himself, had five wives and two dozen children. At the time of his death in 2011, a result of a Navy SEAL operation in Pakistan, bin Laden's wives ranged in age from 28 to 62 and he had kids ranging in ages from three to 35.

What does the bin Laden family own?

The bin Laden family owns and runs a five-billion-dollar-a-year global corporation that includes the largest construction firm in the Islamic world, with offices in London and Geneva. Abdullah is still conferring with many of his siblings at family compounds in Riyadh and Jidda.