logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2020
34m 27s

Who is Mohammad bin Salman?

iHeartRadio + NowThis
About this episode

How did Saudi Arabia get away with the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the kidnapping and alleged torture of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and even 9/11? How does it get away with war in Yemen and human rights violations at home? Oil, and the wealth that oil has brought about. On the first international episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores the 34-year-old trillionaire in charge of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, and the story of a monarchy that is using its wealth to secure its global legitimacy--and expand its influence--through investments in Silicon Valley notables like Twitter, Uber, and Slack. Featuring Agnès Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, who investigated Khashoggi’s 2018 killing.


  • Hala Aldosari, Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies
  • Agnès Callamard, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions and Director, Global Freedom of Expression, Columbia University
  • Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book is False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
May 2021
Who Is Inherited Wealth?
If you work hard in the United States, there is no limit to the possibility of what you might achieve. That’s the American Dream. But the reality is that America today increasingly resembles aristocratic societies of the past, which were characterized by little social mobility an ... Show More
47m 23s
May 2021
Who Is Rebekah Mercer?
Rebekah Mercer may be the most powerful woman in conservative politics today, and she’s never held--and probably will never run for--elected office. Since 2004, Rebekah Mercer has been the director of the Mercer Family Foundation, which means for nearly twenty years she has been ... Show More
49m 29s
May 2021
Who Is Pete Buttigieg?
Mayor Pete is now Secretary Buttigieg, which means that the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is now a member of the Biden Administration. A surprisingly popular presidential candidate in 2020, Buttigieg has an unusual story, and in just a few years, he’s gone from planning bi ... Show More
46m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Mohammed bin Salman: The unstoppable prince?
After ruthlessly outmanoeuvring hundreds of rivals, Mohammed bin Salman has become the most powerful man in Saudi Arabia. The crown prince believes his sweeping vision for the country will bring in investment, top flight sport and visitors from around the world. His only demand i ... Show More
28m 51s
Mar 2025
Mohammed bin Salman: From pariah to peacemaker
How did Saudi Arabia come to host leaders from the US, Russia and Ukraine for peace talks? Just a few years ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was publicly identified as the man who ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. As a resul ... Show More
26m 28s
Jan 2019
Mohammed bin Salman's Bio
Dr. Gregory Gause joins us to discuss the rise of Mohammad Bin Salman and the future of Saudia Arabia. Mohammad Bin Salaman (MBS) is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. He is currently serving as the country’s deputy prime minister, chairman of the Council for Economic and Developm ... Show More
41m 8s
Oct 2020
MBS and the Future of Saudi Arabia: Journalists Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck
In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell interviews Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck, reporters for The Wall Street Journal and co-authors of Blood and Oil: Mohammed Bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power, about the leadership style and strategic decision- ... Show More
41m 14s
Oct 2018
Is Saudi Arabia Heading Down a Dangerous Path?
The Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week. Amid a welter of speculation and lurid allegations, a cloud of suspicion now hangs over the Saudi Government. The record of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, the Kingdom’s d ... Show More
23m 25s
Jan 2021
Reform and Repression in Saudi Arabia, with Madawi Al-Rasheed and Jeremy Bowen
In 2018 journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi regime operatives, shocking the world and drawing widespread condemnation. Mohammad bin Salman, the kingdom’s young crown prince, denied any involvement in the killing but his reputation as a moderniser was tarnished. Bin S ... Show More
58m 51s
Jul 2022
CNN Special Report | Saudi Arabia: Kingdom of Secrets
CNN's Fareed Zakaria explores a country where women are property, music and movies are evil - until a new Crown Prince brings unimaginable freedoms. But there is a dark side - is Saudi Arabia's new regime guilty of murder? Fareed focuses on the deeply troubled U.S.-Saudi relation ... Show More
47m 35s
Oct 2018
The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi
On October 2nd, Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, never to be seen again. Details of the journalist’s brutal killing and dismemberment have since emerged, prompting an international crisis for the kingdom and its de-fa ... Show More
39m 8s