Former Harrods and Fulham FC owner Mohamed Al Fayed dies aged 94
ITV News takes a look back at the long life of the self-made businessman, who spent many years searching for answers over his son's death
Egyptian-born billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed has died at the age of 94, his family have confirmed.
In a statement released by Fulham FC, the club he used to own, his family said: “Mrs Mohamed Al Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather, Mohamed, has passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday August 30, 2023.
“He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones. The family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time.”
The self-made businessman was best-known for owning Harrods department store - which he owned for 25 years - and Fulham FC.
His death came one day before the 26th anniversary of the death of his son Dodi Fayed, who died alongside Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris.
The film producer was travelling in the same car as the Princess of Wales when it fatally crashed while being pursued by paparazzi on August 31, 1997.
In the years after their deaths, Mr Al Fayed repeatedly claimed they were murdered in a plot by the British establishment.
The billionaire’s relationship with the royal family was recently depicted in season five of The Crown, where Mr Al Fayed, played by Salim Daw, was seen getting to know Diana.
The businessman was born in Alexandria in Egypt and came to London in the 1960s where he set about building his empire.
Mr Al Fayed had taken control of Harrods in 1985 and he had also purchased the Ritz hotel in Paris in 1979; and was known for being the owner of Fulham FC between 1997 and 2013.
The west London football team rose from the third tier to the Premier League under his tenure.
In 2010, he decided to sell Harrods to Qatar’s royal family for a reported £1.5 billion and three years later he sold Fulham FC, to Shahid Khan, owner of American football team Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Sunday Times Rich List from 2021 reported that Mohamed Al-Fayed and family were worth around £1.7 billion.
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