Salem bin Laden (full name: Salem bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, 1946-1988) was a prominent Saudi Arabian businessman and investor, best known as the eldest son of Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, founder of the Saudi Binladin Group construction conglomerate. Following his father's death in a 1967 plane crash, Salem became the patriarch of the extensive bin Laden family and assumed leadership of the family business empire. He managed the vast investment portfolio, oversaw income distribution among family members, and planned educational opportunities for his numerous half-siblings, including his infamous half-brother Osama bin Laden. Under Salem's stewardship, the Saudi Binladin Group expanded significantly, undertaking key projects in Saudi Arabia and maintaining close ties with the Saudi royal family; notably, he provided economic support during the 1979 Grand Mosque seizure in Mecca. Salem's business acumen extended internationally, particularly to the United States, where he incorporated Bin Laden Aviation in Texas, obtained a U.S. commercial pilot's license in 1986, forged partnerships including with James R. Bath who handled the family's American operations, and invested in ventures such as Arbusto Energy, an oil company founded by George W. Bush in 1979, through intermediaries—connections that later drew scrutiny due to the bin Laden family's broader associations. His personal life reflected an affinity for Western culture, including a passion for music and aviation. He owned a vacation home in Orlando, Florida, was married to Caroline Carey, and had three children. On May 29, 1988, at age 42, Salem died in a plane crash in Schertz, Texas, when the ultralight aircraft he was piloting collided with high-voltage power lines near San Antonio—an incident that echoed his father's fatal aviation accident. His legacy endures through the bin Laden family's enduring influence in Saudi construction and global investments, though the family's later disavowal of Osama in 1994 underscored internal divisions. His role in bridging Saudi wealth with Western business networks highlights the bin Laden clan's complex web of economic and political influence.