Trump spotted sitting with head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund at UFC fight
Yasir Al-Rumayyan is the governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and also chairs Saudi Aramco, the state-owned petroleum company, as well as the country’s largest mining company, Maaden
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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.
Trump’s transition team did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry into the matter.
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.
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President-elect Trump was spotted speaking with the governor of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, at a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 16, 2024. (Fox News / Fox News)
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.
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His Excellency Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan looks on during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC / Getty Images)
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.
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President-elect Donald Trump, singer Kid Rock, Vivek Ramaswamy and Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan stand up after UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones' TKO victory against challenger Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 heavyweight title bout at Madison Square Garden in N (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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.
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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.
Fox News Digital’s Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.