Startrend International Magazine For Your Latest News And Entertainment Gists
At 95, Sulaiman Al Rajhi, once ranked among the richest men in the world, is no longer a billionaire – and that’s entirely by his own decision.
The Saudi banking titan astonished the world by donating nearly $16 billion of his wealth, marking one of the largest individual charitable acts in history.
Al Rajhi’s generosity extended far beyond cash. He gave away shares in Al Rajhi Bank – one of the world’s most successful Islamic banks – as well as real estate, commercial ventures, poultry farms, and more, making his philanthropy both expansive and impactful.
Two-thirds of his fortune was placed into waqf (an Islamic charitable endowment), dedicated to causes such as education, healthcare, food security, and religious support.
The remaining one-third was distributed among his children. One of his signature projects is the Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, a nonprofit institution focused on health sciences and Islamic finance.
Though he no longer appears on Forbes’ billionaire rankings, Al Rajhi is now recognized on a more meaningful register – a list of individuals who placed humanity above personal fortune. His motivation?
“Everything I gave, I gave for God.”
Born into poverty, Al Rajhi began life as a porter and courier, eventually building a financial empire from the ground up. Despite his success, he chose to give back every bit of it, embracing a value system that defies materialism.
Sulaiman Al Rajhi’s legacy is about more than charity – it’s about redefining success, breaking the grip of greed, and using wealth as a tool to uplift others. In a world where many billionaires die with untouched fortunes, he chose a radically different path:
Give while you live.
