President-elect Trump returned to Madison Square Garden for the UFC fight on Saturday night in a massive way, with Elon Musk, Kid Rock, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the fighting organization’s president, Dana White, in tow, while also being spotted sitting next to a major player from Saudi Arabia.
In video circulating from the event, Trump was seen conversing with the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as Musk and others were talking and watching the fights.
The PIF is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, which is controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and governed by Al-Rumayyan.
According to Reuters, the PIF was estimated to have about $925 billion in assets in July.
Along with his involvement in the PIF, Al-Rumayyan chairs Saudi Aramco, the state-owned petroleum company, as well as the country’s largest mining company, Maaden. He is also the chairman of the English Premier’s Newcastle United Football Club.
Last year, the PGA, DP World Tour and the PIF, which backs LIV Golf, announced a deal to “unify the game of golf, on a global basis.” The announcement came nearly 15 months after LIV Golf unveiled its first series, and about a year after its first tournament.
The deal also signaled that a dispute between the PGA Tour, the European tour and LIV Golf would be ending.
The PIF, which has been criticized in connection to human rights, will have investment exclusivity rights for the combined golf entity, something the three groups said included “a right of first refusal on any capital that may be invested in the new entity, including into the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf and DP World Tour.”
The new group will also get capital from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Oversight of “commercial operations, businesses and investments” at the new golf giant will fall to the board of directors whose full slate will be revealed “at a later date,” the three entities said. The release indicated that a majority of its members will be picked by the PGA Tour, which will also get a majority voting interest.
In the new entity, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will serve as the CEO while Al-Rumayyan will take on the chairman position. Those two will also sit on the board’s executive committee.
Somehow, I feel the PGA is getting ambushed, (read: hostile take-over), by the global elites and global interests. The PGA wanted nothing to do w/ the Saudi’s nor LIV from the start. Now, it appears they have to play ball, or go home, (read: dissolve).
There will always be those who blow with the wind.
Trump diplomacy.
Saudi Arabia had better choose their allies wisely. Jon Jones gave Donald Trump his championship belt after the match. That gesture indicates, ” I may be “The Champ” in the ring, but YOU ARE America’s CHAMP!!!!!!!!!
Mystery man, major player? Here we go gaslighted the loonys.
Trump talks to everyone, even our enemies. He might be feeling out Saudi and where they stand. He is not happy with them either. Trump would like to cut off our oil from them. Saudis might know that Trump is going for our independence from foreign fuel and they do not like that. Just look who buys their oil , China ($56.1B), Japan ($34.3B), India ($32.7B), South Korea ($32.5B), and United States ($16.6B). We would still need their oil until that pipeline is rebuilt and a few others things are in place, like Trump sworn in. Saudi make 1 billion a day selling oil. China is using less oil and we are going away. China is probably using more coal because their pollution rates are up.Saudi might be afraid of losing one of its cash cows.