Mohamed Al-Fayed, Whose Son Dodi Died in Paris Car Crash Alongside Princess Diana, Dead at 94

Egyptian Billionaire and former owner of Harrods department store has died at the age of 94, his family says

Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, whose son Emad El-Din "Dodi" Mohamed Fayed was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 alongside Princess Diana, has died at the age of 94, his family said Friday.

Billionaire Al-Fayed was the former owner of the upscale London department store Harrods. A self-made man who founded shipping company Genevaco in the 1960s, Al-Fayed was also at one time the owner of West London soccer team Fulham Football Club.

“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,” the family statement, released Friday by Fulham FC, said, according to the Associated Press. “He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones.″

Al-Fayed is survived by his wife, Finnish former model Heini Wathén, whom he married in 1985. Together, Al-Fayed and Wathén, 68, had four children, daughters Jasmine, 43, and Camilla, 38, and sons Karim, 40, and Omar, 35.

Pakistani-American billionaire Shahid Khan, Al-Fayed's successor as owner of Fulham FC, released the following statement to the club's official website:

“On behalf of everyone at Fulham Football Club, I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohamed Al Fayed upon the news of his passing at age 94," the statement began.

"The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on the positive impact of Mr Al Fayed as Chairman," continued Khan's statement. "His legacy will be remembered for our promotion to the Premier League, a Europa League Final, and moments of magic by players and teams alike. I always enjoyed my time with Mr Al Fayed, who was wise, colourful and committed to Fulham, and I am forever grateful for his trust in me to succeed him as Chairman in 2013."

Related: All About Dodi Fayed, Princess Diana's Love Interest at the Time of Their Deaths

Al-Fayed was left devastated by the death of his firstborn son Dodi Fayed 26 years ago in the car crash in Paris that also killed Princess Diana. He spent the remainder of his life mourning the loss and blaming the British royal family for their deaths.

In 2008, following a British inquest into their deaths, Al-Fayed said he was abandoning his legal battle for the sake of Diana’s sons, Princes William and Prince Harry, according to Reuters.

“I’m leaving the rest for God to get my revenge, but I’m not doing anything any more,” he said at the time, per the outlet.

“I’m a father who lost his son and I have done everything for 10 years. But now with the verdict, I am accepting it but with all the reservations which I have mentioned,” he said.

The inquest ruled that Diana and Dodi were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of their chauffeur while being pursued through a Paris road tunnel by photographers.

Related: Princess Diana's Death: Her Tragic Car Accident and Its Aftermath

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Prior to the inquest, Al-Fayed had accused Prince Philip, Diana’s former father-in-law, of ordering British security services to assassinate her to stop her marrying Dodi, a Muslim.

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