Though he was most known for his romance with Princess Diana, Dodi Al Fayed already had a prolific life filled with projects, women, and extravagance afforded by his father’s vast fortune. But who was Dodi Al Fayed?
Who was Dodi Al Fayed?
Imad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed, or Dodi, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on April 15, 1955. He was the eldest son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed with his first wife, Samira Khashoggi, the sister of a famed Egyptian arms dealer. Dodi had four more siblings.
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed established a shipping business, worked for a mining conglomerate, and even advised the Sultan of Brunei before he settled overseas. He had several business ventures across Europe but gained worldwide attention when he purchased the famous department store Harrods. Al-Fayed continued expanding his business scope when he bought the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Paris. Mohamed was interested in the British aristocracy, as depicted in The Crown. He did gain the lease of the Villa Windsor in Paris after the death of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and even worked with the former personal valet of Edward VIII, Sydney Johnson.
Dodi’s Life
Dodi studied in a boarding school in Switzerland and the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. He was known to be quite the party boy, holding lavish gatherings for celebrities. Dodi was also often photographed with many famous women and allegedly worked with a publicist to help improve his image. He was married to model Suzanne Gregard, but the marriage did not last long, with the couple divorcing less than a year later. There are several different reports about when Dodi first met Princess Diana, with one source claiming they first met in a polo match when Dodi played against Prince Charles. Another source claims the couple met on Mohamed Al-Fayed’s yacht, when he offered his private villa to Diana and her kids. No matter how they met, Dodi and Diana reconnected a few years later and started a brief romance that lasted only a few months. Dodi and Diana died in August 1997 in a car crash.
Did Dodi Al Fayed Win an Oscar in The Crown Season 5?
In the third episode of The Crown Season 5, Dodi convinced his father to start investing in movies. The first film they worked on as executive producers was Chariots of Fire, which won Best Picture at the Oscars. Though they did not technically win, Dodi and Mohamed were mentioned when David Puttnam received the award.
