Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi , a businessman once worth billions and renowned for his lavish lifestyle, has died at the age of 82, his family said.
Hailed for his “elegance, strength and dignity” by loved ones, the tycoon, the uncle of Dodi Fayed, was said to have been undergoing treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.
He died in London on Tuesday, according to a family statement.
“It is with deep sadness that the Khashoggi family must announce that our beloved father Adnan Khashoggi, aged 82, died peacefully today in London while being treated for Parkinson’s Disease,” the family said.
“He lived his last days surrounded by his devoted family, children and grandchildren, with the same elegance, strength and dignity that characterised his remarkable life.
“He is survived by his wife Lamia.”
At the peak of his wealth in the 1970s, Mr Khashoggi was estimated to be worth £2.4 billion.
But the Mirror has previously reported that, for almost two decades, he held the record for the most expensive divorce settlement in history.
When his marriage to wife Soraya broke down, she sued for £1.5 billion.
While she didn’t get near that amount she still walked away with a cool £500 million.
His wealth was built after years of forging deals across the globe with giants of the defence industry, including the Lockheed Corporation.
With the vast fortune came a reputation for extravagance, characterised by parties which sometimes ran for days.
On one occasion, the Stanford-educated magnate held a party in Istanbul for actress Liz Taylor after her cancer operation, while reportedly hiring rock band Queen to play another.
In 1987, Mr Khashoggi appeared on the front cover of Time magazine below the headline: “Those Shadowy Arms Traders: Adnan Khashoggi’s High Life and Flashy Deals”.
Financial turbulence followed, however, and the arms dealer was forced to sell off relics of his flamboyant existence.
This included the superyacht, Nabila, which eventually ended up in the hands of now-US president Donald Trump, according to reports.
According to his biographer, the billionaire’s 50th birthday was a party to remember – complete with several refrigerator trucks parked outside to cool the champagne.
Brooke Shields and Sean Connery were there. One of his brothers gave him a lion cub. Shirley Bassey sang happy birthday.
And the birthday cake featured a gold crown made out of sugar after his chef had flown to the Louvre to study Louis XIV’s coronation crown, Gentleman’s Journal reports.
Just last month, it was reported one of his “bevy of beautiful girls” was releasing a memoir today, June 6.
Source – Mirror
