Mohamed Al-Fayed, the self-made Egyptian billionaire and former owner of Harrods department store, has died at the age of 94, according to an announcement by Fulham Football Club. Al-Fayed was known for his promotion of the discredited conspiracy theory surrounding the death of his son, Dodi, and Princess Diana, in 1997.
Al-Fayed, originally from Alexandria, Egypt, began his career as a fizzy drink salesman and later expanded into real estate, shipping, and construction, amassing a great fortune in both the Middle East and Europe. Despite owning iconic establishments such as Harrods, Fulham, and the Ritz hotel in Paris, Al-Fayed always remained somewhat of an outsider in Britain, tolerated but not embraced by society.
Al-Fayed dedicated ten years of his life to proving that Diana and his son Dodi were murdered in the tragic car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997. However, his claims were unsupported by any evidence, as confirmed by the official inquest into Princess Diana’s death. Al-Fayed alleged that Diana was carrying Dodi’s child and accused Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, of ordering the British security services to assassinate her, fearing a potential Muslim marriage and mixed-race child.
Despite his controversies, Al-Fayed’s eccentricities were well-known. He once expressed a desire to be mummified in a golden sarcophagus and placed in a glass pyramid on the rooftop of Harrods. As the owner of Fulham Football Club, he famously installed a larger-than-life, sequined statue of Michael Jackson outside the stadium. When faced with criticism, he defiantly responded, If some stupid fans don’t understand or appreciate such a gift, they can go to hell.
After 25 years of ownership, Al-Fayed sold Harrods to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund in 2010. In 1995, his application for British citizenship was denied by the government. When Al-Fayed’s son Dodi embarked on a relationship with Princess Diana, he became embroiled in a tragic event that forever marked his life. In 1997, Dodi and Diana were killed in a car crash in Paris while trying to escape paparazzi photographers. Overwhelmed by grief and a belief in injustice, Al-Fayed spent millions on legal battles to ensure there was an inquest.
During the subsequent inquest a decade later, Al-Fayed implicated a wide range of individuals, but the jury ultimately decided that the couple’s deaths were the result of their chauffeur’s reckless driving. Following the verdict, Al-Fayed accepted the decision and ceased his legal pursuit to prove a conspiracy.
Now, with his passing, his legacy as an influential billionaire, controversial figure, and promoter of conspiracy theories lives on.
