Mohamed Al Fayed, the Egyptian-born billionaire and former owner of Harrods department store, has passed away at the age of 94, as confirmed by his family in an official statement. His death occurred just one day after the anniversary of the tragic car crash in Paris that claimed the lives of his eldest son, Dodi Fayed, and Princess Diana on August 31, 1997.
The family released a statement through Fulham FC, a football club he once owned, announcing his peaceful passing on August 30, 2023, due to old age. The statement also mentioned that Mohamed Al Fayed had enjoyed a long and fulfilling retirement, surrounded by loved ones. The family requested privacy during this time.
Shahid Khan, who succeeded Al Fayed as the owner of Fulham FC, extended his sincere condolences to Mohamed Al Fayed’s family and friends on behalf of the football club.
Born to a schoolteacher in Alexandria, Egypt, Mohamed Al Fayed initially started his own shipping business in his home country before becoming an advisor to the Sultan of Brunei in 1966. He later relocated to the United Kingdom in the 1970s, serving on the board of the mining conglomerate Lonrho in 1975, albeit for just nine months. In 1979, Al Fayed and his brother Ali purchased the prestigious Paris Ritz Hotel.
Their next notable acquisition was Harrods in 1985, following a successful takeover bid worth £615 million ($774 million) in Knightsbridge. Al Fayed retained ownership of the store until 2010 when he sold it to Qatar Holding after the Frasers group entered public trading. Additionally, Al Fayed played a role in resurrecting the satirical magazine Punch.
In 1997, Mohamed Al Fayed purchased Fulham football club in west London for £6.25 million ($7.87 million) and even arranged for famous singer Michael Jackson to attend a game at Craven Cottage. In 1999, he gave approval for the club’s manager, Kevin Keegan, to take on the role of the manager for the England national team. The club was eventually sold by Al Fayed to billionaire businessman Shahid Khan in 2013.
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