Editing Mohamed Al-Fayed (section)

==Business interests==
[[File:75 Rockefeller Plaza by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[75 Rockefeller Plaza]], New York]]

Al-Fayed's business interests included:

* [[Balnagowan Castle]] & Estates, [[Scottish Highlands]]<ref name="Balnagown Estate 2022">{{cite web | title=Our History | website=Balnagown Estate | date=26 May 2022 | url=https://www.balnagown.com/about-balnagown/our-history/ | access-date=2 September 2023 | archive-date=2 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902122611/https://www.balnagown.com/about-balnagown/our-history/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[75 Rockefeller Plaza]], New York City – built in 1947, originally the Esso Building, later the Time Warner Building; owned by Al-Fayed<ref>{{cite web |url=https://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/01/25/75-rockefeller-plaza-needs-tenants-manager-in-2014/ |title=75 Rockefeller Plaza – Time Warner Lease – Mohamed Al-Fayed |date=25 January 2012 |work=The Real Deal New York |access-date=13 November 2022 |archive-date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414195517/http://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/01/25/75-rockefeller-plaza-needs-tenants-manager-in-2014/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and managed and leased by [[RXR Realty]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-01-14/rxr-said-to-buy-99-year-leasehold-at-75-rockefeller-plaza|title=RXR Said to Buy 99-Year Leasehold at 75 Rockefeller Plaza|first=David M.|last=Levitt|date=15 January 2013|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=10 March 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124230/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-01-14/rxr-said-to-buy-99-year-leasehold-at-75-rockefeller-plaza|url-status=live}}</ref>

His major business purchases included:

* House of Fraser Group, including [[Harrods]] (1985, £615&nbsp;million; sold 2010, £1.5&nbsp;billion)<ref name="BBC 2010-05-08">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8669657.stm |title=Mohammed Fayed sells Harrods store to Qatar Holdings |date=8 May 2010 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=8 May 2010 |archive-date=11 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811220505/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8669657.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Fulham Football Club]] (1997, £30&nbsp;million;<ref name="Al Fayed Story"/> sold 2013 for between £150 and £200&nbsp;million<ref name="Fulham Sold"/>)
* After the death of [[Wallis Simpson]], Fayed took over the lease of the [[Villa Windsor]] in Paris, the former home of the Duchess of Windsor and her husband, the Duke of Windsor, previously [[Edward VIII]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 January 1990 |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20116503,00.html |title=Egypt's Al Fayed Restores the House Fit for a Former King |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=2 December 2012 |archive-date=5 May 2012 |first1=Joyce |last1=Wadler |first2=Fred |last2=Hauptfuhrer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505214013/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20116503,00.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Together with his valet [[Sydney Johnson (servant)|Sydney Johnson]], who had also been valet to the Duke, he organised the restoration of the villa and its collections.<ref name="NYTimes 1986-12-25">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/25/garden/windsor-s-paris-home-to-become-museum.html |title=Windsor's Paris Home to Become Museum |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=25 December 1986 |access-date=12 November 2022 |archive-date=3 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403043705/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/25/garden/windsor-s-paris-home-to-become-museum.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Media interests===
In 1996 Al-Fayed established Liberty Publishing, with the goal of the company stated as "to launch and acquire or take strategic interests in significant media businesses".<ref name="fayed-publishing">{{Cite news|date=1 March 1996|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/news-al-fayed-sets-uk-publishing-arm-names-punch-editor/15918|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921165915/https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/news-al-fayed-sets-uk-publishing-arm-names-punch-editor/15918|archive-date=21 September 2024|title=NEWS: Al-Fayed sets up UK publishing arm and names Punch editor|publisher=[[Campaign (magazine)|Campaign]]|access-date=21 September 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

The chairman of Liberty Publishing was [[Stewart Steven]], the former editor of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', with John Dux the chief executive, a former managing director of [[News International]].<ref name="fayed-publishing"/> Al-Fayed had failed in bids to buy the newspaper ''[[Today (UK newspaper)|Today]]'' from [[Lonmin|Lonrho]] in 1986 and from [[News International]] in 1995. Al-Fayed believed that the British government had put pressure on [[Rupert Murdoch]], CEO of News International not to sell the newspaper to him.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 374">Bower 1998, p. 374.</ref> [[Andrew Neil]] was recruited by Liberty Publishing, and helped agree a £4 million takeover of [[LBC#London News Radio|London News Radio]]. The takeover later collapsed.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 374"/>

Steven dined with [[Hugo Young]], chairman of the [[Scott Trust]] at the [[Garrick Club]], and offered a cheque for £17 million from Al-Fayed for ''[[The Observer]]'' newspaper. Young declined this offer, and another of £25 million.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 376">Bower 1998, p. 376.</ref> A women-only radio station, Viva Radio, was bought for £3 million in May 1996.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 376"/> Viva Radio was renamed [[Liberty Radio]], and broadcast commentaries of [[Fulham F.C.]]'s home and away games. The station was sold to [[UCKG]] in 2000. Due to debts of £6.5 million, Liberty Publishing was wound down by Al-Fayed's brother, Ali, in 1996. Steven, Dux and Mike Hollingsworth were fired, but Andrew Neil was retained as a consultant.<ref>Bower 1998, p. 408.</ref>

===Property===
Al-Fayed owned 55 and 60 [[Park Lane]], and a building on South Street, [[Mayfair]]. All three buildings were secretly connected to the [[Dorchester Hotel]], which Al-Fayed purchased for [[Hassanal Bolkiah]], the [[Sultan of Brunei]].<ref name="maureen-orth"/>

In 1995 [[Westminster City Council]] believed that Hyde Park Residences, the company letting 170 luxury flats at 55 and 60 Park Lane, had been wrongly reporting the flats as let on long leases to avoid paying higher business rates due on short tenancies.<ref name="Bower 1998, p.368">Bower 1998, p.368.</ref> The council demanded an additional £1.1 million, and Al-Fayed believed that the letting agent, Sandra Lewis-Glass had betrayed his confidence to the council.<ref name="Bower 1998, p.368"/> After bugging Lewis-Glass's telephone calls and placing her under surveillance, John McNamara, the head of Al-Fayed's security and a former [[Metropolitan Police]] officer, alleged to police that she had stolen two floppy disks worth 80 pence.<ref>Bower 1998, p.369.</ref> Denying the accusation, Lewis-Glass was released without charge, and later sued for wrongful dismissal, winning £13,500.<ref>Bower 1998, p.386.</ref>

In the early 1970s Al-Fayed purchased the Castle St. Therese in the Parc de St Tropez on the [[French Riviera]],<ref name="Bower 1998, p.43">Bower 1998, p.43.</ref> a chalet in [[Gstaad]], Switzerland,<ref name="Bower 1998, p.39"/> and [[Barrow Green Court]] and farm, near [[Oxted]], Surrey.<ref name="Bower 1998, p.43"/>

In ''[[Bocardo SA v Star Energy UK]]'' the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]] denied Al-Fayed compensation after an energy company, Star Energy, had drilled for oil under his Surrey estate. Al-Fayed originally won a share of the oil proceeds at the High Court, but was later told by appeal judges he could only claim damages.<ref name="damages-fight">{{Cite news |date=28 July 2010|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-10791702|title=Al Fayed loses damages in fight over Oxted oil field|work=BBC News}}</ref> Bocardo SA was a company owned by Al-Fayed that owned his estates in Scotland and Surrey; it was based in [[Liechtenstein]].<ref name="NewStatesman99">{{Cite news|last=Rosie|first=George|date=13 December 1999|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/199912130025|title=Who are the lairds lording over us?|work=[[New Statesman]]|access-date=21 September 2024|archive-date=26 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126140332/http://www.newstatesman.com/199912130025|url-status=dead}}</ref>