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Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods department store and father of Dodi Fayed, who perished alongside Princess Diana in a 1997 car crash, passed away on Friday in London at 94.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1929, Al-Fayed relocated to the United Kingdom during the mid-1960s, amassing his wealth in the business world. He entered matrimony with Samira Khashoggi in 1954, and they bore one son, Emad, known as Dodi, though their union dissolved in 1956.
Al-Fayed gained prominence through his ownership of Harrods, which he acquired in 1985, eventually selling it to Qatar for $2.4 billion in 2010. Additionally, he held interests in the Ritz Paris Hotel and Fulham Football Club.
In 2013, Al-Fayed divested Fulham Football Club to U.S. auto parts magnate Shahid Khan for a reported $300 million.
Al-Fayed, a polarizing figure, was renowned for his opulent lifestyle and outspoken viewpoints. He consistently voiced criticism against the British royal family, alleging their involvement in the fatal 1997 car crash of his son Dodi and Princess Diana in Paris.
Al-Fayed contended that the couple met their demise intentionally, asserting, “because they still don’t accept that Dodi, my son, an Egyptian, a Muslim, can be the stepfather of the future king,” as conveyed during a 60 Minutes Australia interview.
Moreover, Al-Fayed demonstrated his philanthropic spirit by donating substantial sums to charities in both the UK and Egypt.
