Egyptian billionaire tycoon and dad of Princess Diana’s lover Dodi, Mohamed Al-Fayed has died aged 93. According to family the billionaire died of old age.
Prayers were held for him at Regent’s Park in Mosque. His coffin was later driven to Barrow Green Court Oxted in Surrey.
“Mrs Mohamed Al-Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather, Mohamed, has passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
“He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones.
“The family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time.”
Mohamed Al-Fayed was the owner of many successful businesses including Ritz Hotel located in Paris.
In 1997, Mohamed Al-Fayed invited Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry to join him on his yacht named the Jonikal.
Mohamed believed that Princess Diana and his son Dodi were about to announce their engagement.
In the past, Mohamed Al-Fayed owned Fulham FC.
“Mohamed wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and he was a flawed, complex character, but I liked him,” Piers Morgan said.
According to Forbes, his net worth was estimated to be $2 billion. Mohamed was born in Alexandria, Egypt. At one time, he was the owner of Harrods – a luxury goods departmental store in London. In 2010, Mohamed Al-Fayed sold his stores to Qatar Holding for $2 billion and announced his retirement from business.
He owned properties in Paris, London and other parts of the world. He had business interests in oil & gas, banking, real estate and shipping.
Mohamed Al-Fayed owned homes in London, Paris, Geneva, New York, St. Tropez and other places around the globe.
He owned a fleet of 40 sea vessels based in Genoa, Italy and Cairo. His businesses operated from Europe, Persian Gulf, Americas and North Africa.
Mohamed Al-Fayed held Egyptian citizenship but rarely traveled to Egypt. He spent most of his time in United Kingdom.
He made a lot of noise in a campaign to get his British citizenship for which he always applied but each time he was denied. He argued that he had lived in Britain for decades, employed thousands, paid millions in taxes and contributed to the economy.
“Anyone who comes from a colony, as Egypt was before, they think he’s nothing. So you prove you’re better than they are. You do things that are the talk of the town. And they think, ‘How can he? He’s only an Egyptian,’” Mohamed told New York Times in 1995.
He acquired a castle in Scotland and sometimes wore a kilt. He sponsored the Royal Horse Show at Windsor.
In 1985, Mohamed Al Fayed purchased Harrods. In 1986, Mohamed acquired in a 50-year lease a royal villa in Paris which was the home of former King Edward VIII of Britain and Wallis Warfield Simpson. This is the American woman for whom the king abdicated his throne in 1936.
Mohamed Al-Fayed Eldest Son
Mohamed Al-Fayed eldest son fell in love with the freshly divorced Princess Diana. On 31 August 1997 the couple were traveling in a Mercedes Benz driven by one Henry Paul. The driver was over-speeding and was drunk. He was trying to avoid several cars of paparazzi who were chasing to take good photos of the two love birds.
The car was involved in a heads-on collision against a concrete pillar. The three were killed in that accident.
Marriage
Fayed married Adan Khassogi’s sister in 1954 and they had only one child, Dodi, the marriage ended in a divorce in 1956. Fayed married his second wife in 1985. He name was Heini Wathén from Finland. They had 4 children together: Omar, Jasmine, Camilla and Karim.
In 1960s, Mohamed Fayed shipping business made a lot of money from the booming oil industry in the Persian Gulf.
Mohamed Al-Fayed contributed donations to the Conservative Party. He had special relationships with Prime Ministers John Major and Margaret Thatcher as well as several members of parliament.
In 1984/85, Mohamed Fayed paid $840 million to acquire Harrods and many other stores. The funds used for acquiring Harrods might have come from the Sultan of Brunei.
Sexual Harassment accusations
Mohamed Fayed was accused by several women of sexual harassment and sexual assault involving teenage girls. He was questioned by the police but was never prosecuted on any of those allegations.
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