# OSB: Where's his money? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035 "2001-09-16T23:47:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/1 "2001-09-16T23:47:45Z")
Osama bin Laden is financing his terrorist organization with money from his well-heeled construction family. At least, this is what I keep reading about him. Saudi stripped him of his possessions and his citizenship, then kicked him out of the country, and for the last several years, he’s been under investigation for acts of terrorism. Afghanistan doesn’t sound like a great big financial center, and I doubt he’s been keeping all those millions in a matress only to dole them out whenever one of his little terrorists needs a new AK-47. So, where’s his money? Can we get at it and cut him off from his funds? Wouldn’t most countries be more than willing to lend us a hand if it turned out he had accounts and property in their borders? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/2 "2001-09-16T23:50:49Z")
At work, the Jeffster has been saying “What we really need now is guerrilla accountants.” LOL ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/3 "2001-09-17T00:21:29Z")
Well Japan is investigating weather or not he bought stocks before the crashes. If he did, he could be that much more richer. Before he became public enemy number 1 he worked in a construction firm. I also heard that he got money from daddy. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/4 "2001-09-17T01:41:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by d12 \* > \*\*Well Japan is investigating weather or not he bought stocks before the crashes. \*\* OBL knows his way around money laundering, false bank accounts, dummy companies, etc, so I don’t think he would have BOUGHT stocks before these attacks. Japan’s Nikkei 225 is down 5% Monday morning, after falling close to 10% last week. Buying stocks would have been pretty dumb. Rather, I’m convinced he shorted the market via futures and options. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/5 "2001-09-17T01:46:33Z")
Not quite a hijack because the lower his financial resources the less important it becomes as to where he keeps this money. In today’s UK Sunday papers, two reliable sources give two different figures. One says $3m and the other quotes $300m. ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/6 "2001-09-17T03:40:59Z")
Here is an article from 1998 that asks whether Osama Bin Laden had connections with the gum arabic trade out of Sudan: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/eafricabombing/stories/strikes082398.htm](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/eafricabombing/stories/strikes082398.htm) Does anyone have a followup to this story? Was Bin Laden actually involved in this trade and does Sudan still supply gum arabic to cola and candy makers in the U.S.? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/7 "2001-09-17T04:13:03Z")
Secretary of State said that we had many weapons to use against ObL. Later, I saw an interview where the guest inferred that there are things that we could do that have never been done before. One of these things was to deny him of his money, thru the monetary system. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/8 "2001-09-17T05:26:13Z")
He trades in _gum arabic_? Shit, does this mean I have to stop buying Winston and Newton watercolors unless they certify it to be ObL-free? Watercolor uses gum arabic as their binder, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/9 "2001-09-17T15:24:58Z")
He probably bought insurance policies on those places that he attacked, if he attacked them. He comes from a very rich family & he appears quite young still so they might keep some of it for him. ---
**Author:** ![TexasSpur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TexasSpur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexasSpur)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/10 "2001-09-17T17:53:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*He probably bought insurance policies on those places that he attacked, if he attacked them. > > He comes from a very rich family & he appears quite young still so they might keep some of it for him. \*\* I don’t think you can insure something unless you would be hurt by the losses. ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/11 "2001-09-17T18:02:21Z")
…invested in American defense companies. Just a guess, but ya gotta admit, that’d be shrewd. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/12 "2001-09-17T18:21:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > **. . .he appears quite young . . . .** BTW he was born in 1957, making him about 44. ---
**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/13 "2001-09-17T19:15:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nostradamus \* > Not quite a hijack because the lower his financial resources the less important it becomes as to where he keeps this money. > > In today’s UK Sunday papers, two reliable sources give two different figures. One says $3m and the other quotes $300m. That’s because the British are confused about how much a million actually is. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/14 "2001-09-17T19:38:38Z")
My and maybe all insurance policies make it void if I am killed as a result of war. Is that the norm and if so are all insurance policies void if you are killed by terrorists??? ---
**Author:** ![maralinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@maralinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maralinn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/15 "2001-09-17T21:18:13Z")
I did read that he shorted the stock of the 3 major European insurance companies that insured businesses that had offices in the WTC. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/16 "2001-09-17T23:48:50Z")
Well this wasn’t an act of war. This was terrorism. The insurance industry is going to pay out to those who bought flight insurance. As for collecting the if a terrorist did insure himself and name OBL beneficiary they just wouldn’t pay it. I’m mean come on is the guy gonna sue. He’s got bigger problems. One thing I’d like to know is isn’t a large part of his money coming from contributions from others. Like the Saudis do (or used to) fund the Palastinians. I was under the impression that he was getting money from other groups. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/17 "2001-09-18T03:22:37Z")
Quote markxxx > [@](#): > > Well this wasn’t an act of war. This was terrorism. The insurance industry is going to pay out to those who bought flight insurance I guess I need to rephrase my Question. Now that GW has declared War does this mean that acts of terrorism are not covered by insurance? ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/18 "2001-09-18T04:28:47Z")
I seem to recall reading somewhere that he is funded through drug trafficing. Afghanistan is after all opium country. (Heroin is made out of Opium). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osb-wheres-his-money/82035/19 "2001-09-18T04:44:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by maralinn \* > \*\*I did read that he shorted the stock of the 3 major European insurance companies that insured businesses that had offices in the WTC. \*\* I heard that _speculated_, but really, who is going to know that?