Wall Street has, after a brief moment of pretense, unmistakably signaled that the grotesque act of dispatching and dismembering a dissident journalist on diplomatic territory poses no significant obstacle to maintaining lucrative business relationships. This is particularly true when vast sums of oil wealth are at stake, effortlessly pouring in from the ground. The powerful financial elites—who often feign concern for free speech when justifying their support for questionable figures—appear remarkably unfazed by such brutality. They seem prepared to endure minimal inconvenience at their accommodations, even when their previous connections in the region have faced imprisonment and unspeakable horrors, all for the opportunity to engage with the individual who likely orchestrated this horrific act.
Marc Rowan, dressed in a tailored suit instead of his typical casual sweaters, arrived 11 minutes early—showing hesitance as he even backtracked a couple of times, unwilling to be the first to arrive. Shortly thereafter, he was joined by a multitude of heavyweights from the fields of technology and finance. This group included top executives from Carlyle Group, BlackRock, Citi, and Standard Chartered, alongside founders from prominent hedge funds such as Bridgewater Associates and Third Point.
Once gathered, they were quickly ushered by Saudi security to a lavish dinner in Diriyah, the historical home of the al-Saud family, hosted at the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s farm. This is the same individual accused of orchestrating the murder of a dissident journalist six years prior, in addition to overseeing the imprisonment, torture, and extortion of family members under the guise of an anticorruption campaign at this very Ritz establishment.
However, there is one thing that such powerful individuals seem unable to tolerate, and that is the thought of going more than a few hours without a drink.
Despite the official prohibition of alcohol within the kingdom, numerous creative workarounds exist for the visiting finance elites. Several attendees recounted thrilling escapades in four-wheelers, venturing into the desert where alcoholic beverages were abundantly available at the private estates of influential local families and government-connected investors. One venture capitalist shared a humorous tale of staying at a party, sipping lukewarm camel-milk tea from ornate gold cups until midnight struck, at which point a side door swung open to reveal a fully staffed bar offering whiskey shots.
Contraband Whiskey and a Secret Royal Dinner: Wall Street Goes to Riyadh [NYT]
