The invention has already earned the pair more than US$2.07m, with revenues expected to reach US$10m later this year. The rewards are not only financial; Waleed has been tipped by Norwegian broadcasting giant NRK as "Norway's Mark Zuckerberg" and he has been honored by both the Crown Prince of Norway and the UN Foundation Board of Directors, which includes Queen Rania of Jordan and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Soon, Waleed will meet US President Obama at the White House – a special moment for Waleed, who is still studying for a Bachelor of International Business Administration at Hult's London campus, as it was Obama who inspired him to change things for the better.
According to Waleed, the next step for the iPhone invention and his company Gront Norge [Green Norway] is to expand globally. "We're negotiating with Apple, selling it to Telenor (the world's fifth-largest telecommunications company), and it will be available through AT&T very soon. The cases are already being sold in the Middle East."
Mukul Kumar, Chief Academic Officer of Hult International Business School, said: "Waleed's phenomenal success shows the strength of talent present in Hult's diverse student body. As a business school, one of our main goals is to inspire people to engage in entrepreneurship, and Waleed is definitely inspiring his classmates."
Asked what advice he would give to students, Waleed said: "Work hard and never give up. Everything is possible. And if I can do it, then you can do it."
