Billionaire’s whim: the deceased father of Diana’s deceased lover wanted to be in a glass mausoleum

Mohammed Al Fayed, Egyptian-born businessman and owner of Harrods department store, has died at the age of 94.

According to The Guardian, his death came almost 26 years after the car crash in Paris that killed his eldest son Dodi and Diana, Princess of Wales, on August 31, 1997.

In a statement released by Fulham Football Club, his family said: “Mrs Mohammed Al Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather Mohammed passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday 30 August 2023. . He enjoyed a long and fulfilling life in retirement surrounded by his loved ones. The family asks that their privacy be respected at this time.”

Fayed was born in Alexandria and was the son of a school teacher. His breakthrough in business came after he met his first wife, Samira Khashoggi, the sister of Saudi millionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who hired him in his import business in Saudi Arabia.

This role helped him forge new connections in Egypt and he started his own shipping business before becoming an advisor to one of the world’s richest men, the Sultan of Brunei, in 1966.

Al-Fayed moved to the UK in the 1970s and in 1979 bought the Ritz Hotel in Paris with his brother Ali.

The Fayeds’ next target was Harrods, and in 1985, after a long and bitter struggle with British businessman Roland “Tiny” Rowland, the brothers won a bid to take over Knightsbridge for £615 million.

A subsequent government investigation into the bid, officially published in 1990, found that Fayed and his brother had been dishonest about their wealth and background in order to secure the takeover.

The brothers called these claims unfair. Five years later, his first application for British citizenship was rejected.

Fayed again fell out with the British government in 1994 when he addressed The Guardian over allegations that he paid Conservative MPs to ask questions in Parliament on his behalf.

The case led to the resignation of MP Tim Smith as Minister for Northern Ireland, while another MP, Neil Hamilton, was convicted of accepting bribes, including vacations at the Ritz and free shopping at Harrods. Hamilton did not back down, lost a libel case he brought against Fayed, and lost his seat in the 1997 general election.

Fayed also exposed cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken’s involvement in the Saudi arms deal. Aitken was later jailed for perjury and obstruction of justice.

Despite living in the UK for decades, Fayed was never granted British citizenship and threatened to move to France, which awarded him the Légion d’honneur, the country’s highest civilian honour.

Al Fayed sold Harrods in 2010 to the investment arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund for £1.5bn, although it was once reported that he wanted to stay there even in death.

In 2002, he told the Financial Times that he would like his body to be put on public display in a glass mausoleum on the roof of Harrods “so people can come and visit me.”

The businessman also unsuccessfully revived the satirical magazine Punch, and in 1997 bought Fulham Football Club in west London for £6.25 million, inviting Michael Jackson to watch a game at Craven Cottage. He turned the club from a struggling team into an aerobatics team.

In 1999, Fayed agreed to have club manager Kevin Keegan take over as head coach of the England national team. Fayed sold the club to billionaire businessman Shahid Khan in 2013.

A year later, he stated that they were suspended because the giant statue of Michael Jackson he had commissioned outside the stadium had been removed. Critics, in his characteristic words, “can go to hell.”

Shahid Khan said on Friday evening: “On behalf of all the staff at Fulham Football Club, I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohammed Al Fayed on the news of his passing at the age of 94.

“The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on Al Fayed’s positive influence as chairman. His legacy will be remembered for our promotion to the Premier League, the Europa League final and moments of magic for players and teams alike. I have always enjoyed spending time with Al Fayed, who was wise, colorful and dedicated to Fulham, and I am eternally grateful to him for trusting me to succeed him as chairman in 2013. I join our fans around the world in honoring the memory of Mohammed Al Fayed, whose legacy will always be at the center of our tradition at Fulham Football Club.”

In 1985, Fayed married Finnish socialite and former model Heini Waten, with whom he had four children: Jasmine, Karim, Camilla and Omar.

The billionaire waged a lengthy campaign after the deaths of his son Dodi and Princess Diana, claiming that the plane crash was not an accident and that it was orchestrated by the British security services.

However, the French police concluded that it was an accident, caused in part by the speeding and high blood alcohol levels of driver Henri Paul. In 2006, an investigation by the Metropolitan Police led by Lord Stephens found no evidence to support claims that the security services were in any way involved.

Al Fayed became Diana’s friend through his sponsorship of charities and events attended by members of the royal family. The billionaire’s relationship with the royal family was recently featured in the fifth season of The Crown, where he was played by Salim Doe.

In 1987, he founded the Al Fayed Charitable Foundation to improve the lives of impoverished, traumatized and very sick young people.

Fayed was worth $1.9 billion in November 2022, according to the Forbes list of world billionaires.