Adnan Khashoggi, wealthy arms dealer and Iran-Contra figure, dies at 81
Saudi Arabian arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, once one of the world’s richest men who was implicated in the Iran-Contra affair, has died at 81.
A statement from his family says Khashoggi died in London on Tuesday. He had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Khashoggi was notorious for his lavish lifestyle. He was estimated to be worth about $4 billion at the peak of his wealth in the 1970s.
Khashoggi was a man of connections. His nephew Dodi Fayed was Princess Diana’s paramour and died with her in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Khashoggi also briefly owned the Beverly Hills home that was built for Charlie Chaplin in 1922.
His family says he “combined commercial acumen with an overriding loyalty to his country, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His work always furthered the interests of his country.”
A Times staff writer contributed to this report.
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