Current:Home > StocksMohamed Al Fayed, famed businessman and critic of crash that killed his son and Princess Diana, dies at 94-LoTradeCoin
Mohamed Al Fayed, famed businessman and critic of crash that killed his son and Princess Diana, dies at 94
View Date:2024-12-24 00:22:26
Mohamed Al Fayed, the flamboyant Egypt-born businessman whose son was killed in a car crash with Princess Diana, died this week, his family said Friday. He was 94.
Al Fayed, the longtime owner of Harrods department store and the Fulham Football Club, was devastated by the death of son Dodi Fayed in the car crash in Paris with Diana 26 years ago. He spent years mourning the loss and fighting the British establishment he blamed for their deaths.
"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,″ his family said in a statement released by the Fulham club. "He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones.″
Al Fayed was convinced Dodi and Diana were killed in a conspiracy masterminded by Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He maintained the royal family arranged the accident because they did not like Diana dating an Egyptian. Al Fayed claimed that Diana was pregnant and planning to marry Dodi and that the royal family could not countenance the princess marrying a Muslim.
In 2008, Al Fayed told an inquest the list of alleged conspirators included Philip, two former London police chiefs and the CIA.
The inquest concluded that Diana and Dodi died because of the reckless actions of their driver - an employee of the Ritz Hotel owned by Al Fayed - and paparazzi chasing the couple. Separate inquiries in the U.K. and France also concluded there was no conspiracy.
Al Fayed's relationship with the royal family was recently depicted in season five of "The Crown," in which the billionaire, played by Salim Daw, gets to know Diana.
The son of a school inspector, Al Fayad was born on Jan. 27, 1929, in Alexandria, Egypt. After early investments in shipping in Italy and the Middle East, he moved to Britain in the 1960s and started building an empire.
At the height of his wealth, Al Fayed owned the Ritz hotel in Paris and Fulham soccer team in London as well as Harrods, the luxury department store in the capital's tony Knightsbridge neighborhood.
The Sunday Times Rich List, which documents the fortunes of Britain's wealthiest people, put the family's fortune at 1.7 billion pounds ($2.1 billion) this year, ranking Al Fayed as the 104th richest person in the country.
Al Fayed first hit the headlines in the 1980s when he battled with rival tycoon "Tiny" Rowland for control of the House of Fraser group, which included Harrods.
Al Fayed and his brother bought a 30% stake in House of Fraser for 130 million pounds in 1985. They paid an additional 615 million pounds to take full control the following year.
That transaction sparked an investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry, which concluded Al Fayed and his brother had "dishonestly misrepresented their origins, their wealth, their business interests and their resources." Despite those findings, the deal was allowed to go through.
Al Fayed was also a key player in the "cash for questions" scandal that roiled British politics in the 1990s.
Al Fayed was sued for libel by a British lawmaker, Neil Hamilton, after the businessman claimed he had given Hamilton envelopes of cash and a lavish stay at the Ritz in Paris, in return for asking questions in the House of Commons.
Hamilton's lawyer, Desmond Browne, claimed the allegation was fantasy, saying: ″If there were Olympic medals for lying, Mr. Fayed would be a prime contender for a gold one."
A jury found in Al Fayed's favor in December 1999.
But he was never accepted by the British establishment. The government twice rejected his applications for citizenship, though the reasons were never released publicly.
Al Fayed bought underdog London soccer team Fulham in 1997, and spent lavishly on coaches and players to improve its performance. It was a success, with the club winning promotion to the Premier League in 2001.
Al Fayed was also friends with Michael Jackson and had a statue of the pop star erected outside Fulham's London stadium in 2011, two years after Jackson's death.
Never popular with Fulham fans, it was removed in 2013 by Al Fayed's successor as team owner, Shahid Khan.
- In:
- Diana Princess of Wales
- United Kingdom
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
- Amazon Shoppers Swear By These Affordable Dog Products With Over 20,000 Five-Star Reviews
- These Are the 10 Avec Les Filles Fall Jackets That Belong in Every Closet
- Power outage map: Severe storms leave over 600,000 without power in Michigan, Ohio
- Biden EPA to charge first-ever ‘methane fee’ for drilling waste by oil and gas companies
- In Iowa and elsewhere, bans on LGBTQ+ ‘conversion therapy’ become a conservative target
- AP Election Brief | What to expect in Mississippi’s runoff primaries
- Mysterious remains found in Netherlands identified as Bernard Luza, Jewish resistance hero who was executed by Nazis in 1943
- Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
- The Justice Department is suing SpaceX for allegedly not hiring refugees and asylees
Ranking
- Catholic bishops urged to boldly share church teachings — even unpopular ones
- Should I get a COVID shot? CDC warns most should wait for September
- Bachelor in Paradise Season 9 Reveals First Look: Meet the Bachelor Nation Cast
- The Justice Department is suing SpaceX for allegedly not hiring refugees and asylees
- Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Here's what to know for November 11
- Pac-12 college football preview: USC, Utah among favorites in last season before breakup
- Players credit the NFL and union with doing a better job of teaching when sports betting isn’t OK
- In his first tweet in more than two years, Trump shares his mugshot on X
Recommendation
-
Vegas Sphere reports revenue decline despite hosting UFC 306, Eagles residency
-
The Justice Department is suing SpaceX for allegedly not hiring refugees and asylees
-
Bachelor Nation's Shawn Booth Weighs In On Ex-Fiancée Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Breakup With Jason Tartick
-
Influencer Beauty Couch Dead at 22 After Police Find Body Near Burned Car
-
Are Dancing with the Stars’ Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber Living Together? She Says…
-
Hot air balloon pilot safely lands on Vermont highway after mid-flight wind issues: Reports
-
Mysterious remains found in Netherlands identified as Bernard Luza, Jewish resistance hero who was executed by Nazis in 1943
-
Woman who allegedly abandoned dog at airport and flew to resort hit with animal cruelty charges