Mohamed Al-Fayed

Mohamed Al-Fayed, born on January 27, 1929, was a prominent Egyptian entrepreneur whose business ventures flourished primarily in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s. He was best known for his ownership of iconic establishments such as the Hôtel Ritz Paris, Harrods department store, and Fulham Football Club. At the time of his passing in 2023, his wealth was estimated by Forbes to be around two billion dollars.

Throughout his career, Al-Fayed faced significant media scrutiny, particularly from 1995 onwards, due to numerous allegations of sexual harassment and discriminatory practices at Harrods. His reputation was marred by claims of misconduct, which he often attempted to suppress through legal threats against news organizations reporting on these issues. Following his death, he became the subject of over two hundred posthumous accusations of illegal activities, including rape.

Al-Fayed's personal life included a brief marriage to Samira Khashoggi from 1954 to 1956, with whom he had a son, Dodi. Dodi Al-Fayed was in a relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales, at the time of their tragic deaths in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Al-Fayed controversially claimed that the crash was orchestrated by MI6 under the orders of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 2011, he supported the production of an unreleased documentary titled 'Unlawful Killing,' which presented his perspective on the events surrounding the crash.