Mohamed Al Fayed, the extravagant Egypt-born entrepreneur, whose son tragically lost his life in a car accident involving Princess Diana, has passed away at the age of 94, as confirmed by his family on Friday. Al Fayed was well-known for being the longtime owner of Harrods department store and the Fulham Football Club. The death of his son, Dodi Fayed, in the car crash in Paris with Diana, 26 years ago, left him devastated, leading him to spend years mourning the loss and fighting against the British establishment, which he held responsible for their untimely deaths. In a statement released by the Fulham club, his family expressed that Mohamed passed away peacefully of old age on August 30, 2023, after enjoying a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by loved ones.
Al Fayed firmly believed that Dodi and Diana were victims of a conspiracy masterminded by Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. According to his claims, the royal family orchestrated the accident due to their disapproval of Diana dating an Egyptian. Al Fayed went so far as to assert that Diana was pregnant and planning to marry Dodi, and the royal family could not tolerate the idea of the princess marrying a Muslim.
In 2008, during an inquest, Al Fayed implicated Prince Philip, two former London police chiefs, and the CIA as alleged conspirators. However, the official conclusion of the inquest was that Diana and Dodi died as a result of the reckless actions of their driver and paparazzi chasing them. Independent inquiries conducted in the UK and France also dismissed any notion of a conspiracy.
Al Fayed’s relationship with the royal family was recently depicted in season five of “The Crown,” where he was portrayed by Salim Daw and formed a connection with Diana. Born on January 27, 1929, in Alexandria, Egypt, Al Fayed was the son of a school inspector. He relocated to Britain in the 1960s after making early investments in shipping in Italy and the Middle East, eventually building his business empire.
During his heyday, Al Fayed held ownership of prestigious properties, including the Ritz hotel in Paris, the Fulham soccer team in London, and the renowned Harrods department store in Knightsbridge. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, the family’s fortune reached 1.7 billion pounds ($2.1 billion) this year, placing Al Fayed as the 104th wealthiest individual in the country.
Al Fayed rose to prominence in the 1980s during a high-profile battle with rival tycoon “Tiny” Rowland for control of the House of Fraser group, which included Harrods. In 1985, Al Fayed and his brother purchased a 30% stake in House of Fraser for 130 million pounds and acquired full control the following year with an additional payment of 615 million pounds. This transaction triggered an investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry, which accused the Fayeds of dishonestly misrepresenting their origins, wealth, business interests, and resources. Nevertheless, the deal was eventually allowed to proceed.
Furthermore, Al Fayed played a significant role in the “cash for questions” scandal that rocked British politics in the 1990s. He faced a libel lawsuit from British lawmaker Neil Hamilton, who denied Al Fayed’s claims of receiving cash-filled envelopes and an extravagant stay at the Ritz in exchange for asking questions in the House of Commons. In December 1999, a jury ruled in favor of Al Fayed.
Despite his achievements, Al Fayed never gained acceptance from the British establishment. His applications for citizenship were rejected twice by the government, with the reasons remaining undisclosed to the public. In 1997, he purchased the underdog London soccer team Fulham and made significant investments in coaches and players to improve its performance. The club subsequently achieved success by securing promotion to the Premier League in 2001. Al Fayed’s friendship with Michael Jackson led to the installment of a statue depicting the late pop star outside Fulham’s London stadium in 2011. However, the statue was later removed in 2013 by Al Fayed’s successor, Shahid Khan, due to lack of popularity among Fulham fans.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
