Mohamed Al-Fayed, the self-made billionaire who owned Harrods and Fulham FC, has died – aged 26 on the day after his son was killed in a car crash in Paris along with Princess Diana.
The Egyptian businessman, whose business interests in Britain include Harrods department store and Fulham FC, was 94. MailOnline learns he died on August 31 – exactly 26 years after his son Dodi.
Born in Alexandria, he moved to Britain in the 1960s, where he became an early driving force in Dubai’s development. He later bought House of Fraser with his brothers, including Harrods, and the Ritz hotel in Paris, which he owned until his death.
A funeral service was held at the London Central Mosque in Regents Park on Friday, following Islamic conventions to bury the dead within 24 hours.
Sources told MailOnline that Mr Al-Fayed died on Thursday evening and Janazah (funeral) prayers were held at the mosque on Friday.
Mohammed Al Fayed, former owner of Harrods and Fulham FC, has died at the age of 94
Mohammed Al-Fayed pictured next to Diana, Princess of Wales at a charity event at London’s Harrods in 1996
Mr Al-Fayed later unveiled a statue of Diana and his son Dodi in Harrods commemorating their lives – the slogan ‘innocent victims’ is engraved on the base
Dodi Al-Fayed, son of Mohamed Al-Fayed and a film producer, was killed in Paris in 1997 along with Diana
“The service went as planned,” said a source. “The prayers took place in the mosque after the Friday prayer – the prayer for the deceased.”
Despite his vast business interests, Mr. Al-Fayed was probably best known for his continued search for answers to questions surrounding the death of his son Dodi, who died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997-26 alongside Princess Diana. from Wales. years before his own death.
Diana and Dodi were leaving the Ritz in Paris in the early hours of August 31 and were being run away from the paparazzi by Henri Paul, the hotel’s deputy head of security, when Paul lost control of the car and was traveling at about 100 mph. km/h collided with a pillar.
Mr Al-Fayed opened his own private inquiry into the crash after being dissatisfied with the official inquiry.
A 2008 inquest concluded that Dodi and Diana were unlawfully killed through a combination of Paul’s drunk driving, the fact that neither of them were wearing seat belts – and because of the erratic driving of paparazzi who drove them through the early morning streets of Paris chased.
Nevertheless, Mr Al-Fayed reportedly muttered to journalists as he left the court: “The main thing is that it is murder.”
He was later immortalized in the Netflix series The Crown, played by Israeli actor Salim Daw, who will return to play the businessman in the next series, which will be about the crash that killed his son and the Princess of Wales.
One episode of the show charts the rise of Mr. Al-Fayed and eventual encounter with Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki.
Describing him as an “incredibly, fascinating character” to play, Daw told Radio Times, “He’s so motivated to be at the top that it actually defines the way he lives and the way he behaves.” ‘
Along with his brothers, Mr. Al-Fayed bought a stake in House of Fraser and later bought the entire company – including the prestigious Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, which he kept until 2010.
Mr Al-Fayed bought Fulham FC in 1997, with his cash injection ensuring the club progress to the Premier League and European competitions in just a few short years. He is pictured here in 2011
Mohamed Al-Fayed pictured in Paris in 2016. He sold Harrods and Fulham FC – his largest UK business holdings – in 2010 and 2013 respectively
Mr Al-Fayed – seen here leaving the Royal Courts of Justice in 2007. The inquiry into the deaths of his son Dodi and Diana, Princess of Wales concluded that the couple were murdered after
Together with his brothers, Al-Fayed bought House of Fraser in the 1980s, which also included the London department store Harrods in Knightsbridge.
He retained ownership of the store after the Frasers group went public until 2010 when he sold it to Qatar Holding.
He also earned the respect of Fulham FC fans after buying the professional West London club for £6 million in 1997. Thanks to his injection of money, the team found its way to the Premier League and European competition within a few years.
Mr Al-Fayed sold the side to billionaire businessman Shahid Khan in 2013 for $300 million.
Earlier this year, his net worth was estimated at $2 billion (approximately £1.58 million), ranking him No. 1,493 worldwide.
And in May last year, Forbes listed his net worth at $1.9 billion – which equates to about £1.6 billion.
Before 1997, Mr Al-Fayed also became known to the British public for his involvement in the ‘cash-for-questions’ scandal, in which MPs resign in disgrace after failing to state that they had been paid by the Egyptian to ask questions in parliament. parliament.
He approached The Guardian newspaper in 1994 with the allegations and led to the resignation of MP Tim Smith.
Another MP, Neil Hamilton, was found to have taken bribes, including a holiday at the Ritz and free shopping at Harrods.
He did not step down, but the scandal led to him becoming inextricably associated with sleaze and losing his seat in the 1997 general election.
The questions related to the controversy over Mr Al-Fayed’s ownership of Harrods, and the businessman says he was approached by lobbyist Ian Greer to smear the palms of willing MPs.
He married Finnish socialite and former model Heini Wathén in 1985, with whom he has four children: Jasmine, Karim, Camilla and Omar.