The recent demise of Mohamed Al-Fayed, the Egyptian-origin magnate behind the renowned British Harrods department store chain, could spark a significant inheritance dispute among his children. His vast empire, estimated at £1.7 billion, will inevitably need distribution among his four heirs from his second Finnish wife, Heini Wathén, as reported by the British newspaper, “Daily Mail.”
At the time of his passing, Al-Fayed still possessed an impressive array of million-pound assets, including the Ritz Hotel in Paris and a mansion near the town of Oxted in Surrey. He was also the proud owner of the famous Harrods department store chain and Fulham Football Club.
The potential conflict over Al-Fayed‘s fortune is evident. His children, Yasmin (42), Karim (39), Camilla (38), and Omar (35), will need to find common ground when the time comes to divide their late father’s empire. The family dynamics are further complicated by the tragic death of Al-Fayed’s eldest son, Emad, in a notorious accident in August 1997, where he and Princess Diana perished in Paris.
Adding to the complexity, Omar and Camilla previously engaged in a legal dispute that reached the Supreme Court. The court documents indicate that during the first lockdown in 2020, a physical altercation occurred between Omar and Camilla’s husband at their father’s Surrey residence. Omar sought £100,000 in damages for the alleged assault by Camilla and her Syrian businessman husband, both of whom denied the claims.
Regarding his assets, Al-Fayed once owned luxury apartments on Park Lane in London and in Manhattan, New York. His collection included nine Rolls Royce cars, an exquisite art collection, and the famous Michael Jackson statue at Fulham Football Club. His mansion in Oxted spans 220 acres, boasting a swimming pool, stables, and gardens, believed to be worth around £100 million. Meanwhile, the Ritz Hotel in Paris, purchased for £10 million in 1979, is now estimated to be worth at least £500 million.
Mohamed Al-Fayed passed away on the 26th anniversary of the accident that claimed the lives of his son Dodi, 42, and Princess Diana, 36, on August 31, 1997. He was laid to rest next to his son in the family cemetery in Oxted, Surrey.