The rise and fall of Mohamed Al Fayed: How an Egyptian market trader bought his way into high society buying up Harrods, the Ritz and Fulham FC along the way...
but was dogged by shady deals and Royal conspiracy theories Did you work at Harrods and want to tell your story? Email matthew.lodge@mailonline.co.
uk By Matthew Lodge Published: 06:06 EDT, 19 September 2024 | Updated: 06:27 EDT, 19 September 2024 e-mail 3 View comments With his ruthless ambition, it was perhaps no surprise that Mohamed Al Fayed went from the streets of Egypt to rubbing shoulders with British royalty. Having launched his career by hawking fizzy drinks on the streets of Alexandria before moving on to sewing machines, the controversial businessman spent a large part of his adult life making it his personal goal to prove his doubters wrong. Despite building a large business empire for his family that encompassed real estate, shipping and construction, and perhaps most famously, retail, he never lost the chip on his shoulder.
It was his purchase of Harrods and his charitable foundations in Britain, followed later by his acquisition of Fulham Football Club, which saw him become a household name in the UK. However, even as he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Princess Diana and the late Queen Elizabeth, the entrepreneur hid a dark side which is set to ruin his legacy. Mohamed Al Fayed with the Queen in 1997.
His business connections and charity work saw him mixing with high society despite his complaints abo.