Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum net worth: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, the Ruler of Dubai. He has a net worth of $14 billion. Sheikh Mohammed is the owner of 99.67% of Dubai Holding and the guy responsible for those really cool man-made palm islands in the Persian Gulf. Sheik Mo likes to go all-out in his personal life. He has fathered 19 children with his two wives. The Sheik's 1981 wedding to his first wife holds the Guinness world record for the most expensive wedding; $100 million (in today's dollars) was spent on a month long celebration in Dubai that culminated in a wedding for 20,000 guests in a specially built stadium. Thanks to the launch of Roman Abramovich's 555 foot Eclipse in June 2009, the Sheik now owns the world's SECOND largest yacht, the 531 foot $350 million yacht called Dubai, which has 8 decks and luxury accommodations for 115 guests and 80 crew members. Sheik Mohammed built the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
And as most of us enjoy the beginning of football season the truly rich are giddy with excitement over their own sporting event: the Keeneland September Yearling Sale that takes place just outside of Lexington, Kentucky. Thousands of the world's most promising thoroughbreds are bought and sold at this 14-day event each year. Thanks to the ever-present global economic recession, sales were down 41% this year to $191 million. 3,159 horses were sold at an average price of $60,734. That average was skewed by the $2.05 million sale of Storm 'n Indian to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. Sheik Mo actually bought 34 yearlings this year for a total of $13.98 million. This is despite his 6 month suspension from horse racing that stems from allegations of doping in early 2009. Despite his avid love of sporting and big spending, Sheik Mo has never shown an interest in American sports like football, baseball or basketball.
