Dodi Fayed was an Egyptian film producer and heir. He is most known for his romance with Princess Diana of Wales, with whom he was murdered in a vehicle accident in Paris on August 31, 1997. Dodi Al-Fayed, the son of Egyptian millionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, was a frequent traveler who split his time between Los Angeles, London, and other family estates. Dodi, dubbed a “playboy” by the press, had dated several renowned women and was apparently engaged to model Kelly Fisher at the time he met Diana. According to royal author Judy Wade, despite the fact that he was sincere about his connection with Diana, the princess was still undecided because she had supposedly heard about Dodi’s financial troubles and cocaine use. Dodi was well-known in Hollywood for both his successful film productions and the spectacular parties he threw at his Beverly Hills houses. In 17 years, he financed or co-financed six films, including ‘Chariots of Fire,’ which received the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Childhood and Adolescence
Dodi Fayed was born Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Muna’im Al-Fayed on April 15, 1955, in Alexandria, Egypt. Mohamed Al-Fayed, the eldest son of Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods, Fulham Football Club, and the Hotel Ritz Paris, was his father.
Samira Khashoggi, an author and Saudi citizen of Turkish origin, was his mother. Dr. Muhammad Khashoggi was her father, and Adnan Khashoggi, a rich arms merchant, was her brother.
Dodi studied at Egypt’s College Saint-Marc and Switzerland’s Institut Le Rosey.
He received his education at the Sandhurst Military Academy in the United Kingdom. He adored London and was a popular character in the city’s nightclub scene as a teenager. He was known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included “speed automobiles and gorgeous ladies.”
The Career of Dodi
Dodi Fayed worked as an attaché at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in London shortly after finishing his education. His father, also worked on Harrods’ marketing.
After a tour of a James Bond set by friend Cubby Broccoli in 1979, he gained an interest in the film industry after serving in the United Arab Emirates air force for a period. In the same year, he debuted in the film industry. He founded Allied Stars, a production firm, with the aid of his father.
In 1980, he co-produced Brian Gibson’s British film ‘Breaking Glass,’ which he wrote and directed. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980.
He was an executive producer on the films ‘Chariots of Fire,’ a British historical drama released in 1981, and ‘F/X,’ a 1986 American action thriller directed by Robert Mandel, as well as its sequel and television series, ‘F/X: The Series.’ He also acted as the series’ executive creative consultant.
‘F/X2: The Deadly Art of Illusion,’ a 1991 American action thriller film directed by Richard Franklin; ‘Hook,’ a 1991 American fantasy adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg; and ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ a 1995 American romantic drama film, were all executive produced by him.
After falling in love with the city, he relocated his production company to Los Angeles. He was sued multiple times for failing to fulfill his film obligations. In 1995, he was hit with a $1 million lawsuit for allegedly selling distribution rights to major films he didn’t own.
One of Dodi’s most memorable films was ‘Chariots of Fire,’ which was named 19th on the British Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 British films.
The film’s distinctive electronic theme tune by Vangelis, who received the Academy Award for Best Original Score, was also a highlight.
Achievements & Awards
‘Chariots of Fire’ received seven Academy Award nominations and won four of them, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Dodi’s Personal Experiences
Dodi first met Princess Diana at a polo tournament in 1986, while she was married to Prince Charles of Wales, the British heir to the throne. Dodi was up against Prince Charles’ team in the contest.
At various times, Dodi was said to have dated Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Brooke Shields, and Nancy Sinatra. He married model Suzanne Gregard in 1986, but the couple split after only eight months together. In 1997, he became engaged to Kelly Fisher, an American model, and purchased a home in Malibu, California, to live with her.
After splitting in 1992, Diana and Charles divorced in August 1996. She was welcomed by Dodi’s father Al-Fayed in the south of France for a trip with her two kids, Princes William and Harry, after the divorce. She met Dodi there as well, and the two began dating.
Diana was linked with Dodi in “her first serious romance” after her divorce, according to Diana’s journalist friend Richard Kay. Michael Cole, Dodi’s former publicist, alleged that the pair had become engaged before their deaths.
Kelly Fisher, his then-fiancée, alleged he ditched her for Diana. Fisher had filed a breach of contract complaint against him, in which she stated that he had violated the terms of the contract “He emotionally brought her all the way to the altar and then abandoned her just as they were about to arrive.
He squandered her love in a cruel manner, with little regard for her “. After Dodi’s death, she dropped the complaint.
Dodi Fayed’s Death
Dodi Fayed had purchased the Jonikal, a 195-foot yacht, for a vacation. He and Diana were on a nine-day luxury trip on Jonikal. The couple’s cruise photos were widely circulated in the media. On August 30, 1997, the couple took a second private trip on the Jonikal, returning from Sardinia to Paris.
They made a pit break in Paris on their way to London. The same day, the couple dined alone at the Ritz. The couple had to cancel a restaurant reservation since the paparazzi were following them around all the time.
A decoy car left the hotel from the front on August 31, 1997, in an attempt to fool the journalists and photographers, while Diana and Dodi drove away from the back in a Mercedes-Benz W140 piloted by driver Henri Paul.
The car crashed minutes later in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, instantly killing the chauffeur and Dodi. Diana was admitted to the hospital and died the next day.
Dodi was originally buried in Brookwood Cemetery near Woking, Surrey, but was disinterred and reburied on the Fayed estate grounds in Oxted, Surrey, in October 1997.
Despite Dodi’s father’s assertions that MI6 agents assassinated the couple on the orders of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a French court investigation discounted his conspiracy claims. In 2006, the British Operation Paget, a Metropolitan police investigation, concluded that no proof of a conspiracy had been discovered.
According to police investigations in France and the United Kingdom, driver Henri Paul was driving while under the influence of alcohol and prescription medicines. The accident is also thought to have been caused by the freelance photographers pursuing the pair.
Dodi’s father told the ‘Daily Express’ in May 2001 that Diana was pregnant when she died. Witnesses at the inquiry, however, indicated the princess was not pregnant and that it was an attempt by Mohamed Al-Fayed to start a conspiracy.
At Harrods, Al-Fayed unveiled two tributes to his son and Diana. On April 12, 1998, one of the tributes was presented, which included images of the couple, a wine glass stained with lipstick from Diana’s last dinner, and a ring Dodi had purchased the day before they died.
The second memorial, titled ‘Innocent Victims,’ was unveiled in 2005 and features a 3-meter-high bronze statue of the couple dancing.
Estimated Net worth
Dodi Fayed is one of the wealthiest film producers and one of the most well-known. Dodi Fayed’s net worth is estimated to be $2.4 billion, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.