Adnan Khashoggi facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Adnan Khashoggi
عدنان خاشقجي
Khashoggi in the 1980s
Born	(1935-07-25)25 July 1935 Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Died	6 June 2017(2017-06-06) (aged 81) London, England
Occupation	Businessman
Spouse(s)	Soraya Khashoggi (m. 1961; div. 1974) Lamia Khashoggi (m. 1979) Shahpari Azam Zanganeh (m. 1991; div. 2014)
Children	8, including Nabila Khashoggi
Parent(s)	Mohammad Khashoggi Samiha Ahmed
Relatives	Samira Khashoggi (sister) Soheir Khashoggi (sister) Essam Khashoggi (brother) Adil Khashoggi (brother) Dodi Fayed (nephew) Jamal Khashoggi (nephew) Emad Khashoggi (nephew)

Adnan Khashoggi (Arabic: عدنان خاشقجي, romanized: ‘Adnān Khāshuqjī; 25 July 1935 – 6 June 2017) was a Saudi businessman. He was known for his large business deals and very fancy lifestyle. In the early 1980s, his wealth was thought to be around US$4 billion.

Adnan Khashoggi's Early Life and Family
- Education and Starting Business
Adnan Khashoggi's Business Journey
Triad International Company
Operation Moses Support
Media Appearances
Personal Life
Death
Images for kids
See also

Adnan Khashoggi's Early Life and Family

Adnan Khashoggi was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. His father, Mohammad Khashoggi, was the personal doctor for King Abdul Aziz Al Saud. His mother was Samiha Ahmed.

Adnan had two sisters. One was Samira Khashoggi, an author. She married businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed and was the mother of Dodi Fayed. Another sister, Soheir Khashoggi, is a famous Arab writer.

He also had two brothers, Essam and Adil Khashoggi. Adnan named his company, Triad Corporation, after himself and his two brothers. He was also the uncle of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Education and Starting Business

Khashoggi went to Victoria College in Alexandria, Egypt. He also studied at American universities like California State University, Chico, Ohio State University, and Stanford University.

However, Adnan Khashoggi left his studies early. He wanted to start his own business and make his fortune.

Adnan Khashoggi's Business Journey

Khashoggi grew up around important people in Saudi Arabia. At school, he met Hussein bin Talal, who would become the King of Jordan. This is where he learned how valuable it was to connect people in business.

He once helped a classmate whose father needed to buy towels. He connected him with another classmate whose father made towels. For this simple introduction, Adnan earned US$1,000. This showed him the power of making connections.

First Big Deals

One of his first big successes involved a construction company. They had trouble with their trucks getting stuck in the desert sand. Adnan used money his father gave him for a car to buy special Kenworth trucks. These trucks had wide wheels that worked much better in the desert.

Adnan leased these trucks to the company and earned US$250,000. After this, he became the main agent for Kenworth trucks in Saudi Arabia.

Connecting Companies and Governments

In the 1960s and 1970s, Khashoggi became very good at connecting Western companies with the Saudi Arabian government. He helped Saudi Arabia get the things it needed for its buildings and defense.

For example, between 1970 and 1975, a company called Lockheed Corporation paid Khashoggi US$106 million in fees. His fees started at 2.5% and went up to 15%. He was like a marketing expert for Lockheed, helping them with strategy and advice.

He set up companies in Switzerland and Liechtenstein to manage his earnings. He also made friends with important people, including U.S. President Richard Nixon. Khashoggi gave a large amount of money to Nixon's 1972 election campaign. This helped him gain influence with powerful people around the world.

Famous Possessions

Khashoggi owned many impressive things. His yacht, the Nabila, was the biggest in the world at the time. It was even used in the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again.

Later, Khashoggi sold the Nabila to the Sultan of Brunei. The Sultan then sold it to Donald Trump. Eventually, it was sold to Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

Khashoggi was also known for his role as an arms dealer. He helped make deals between U.S. companies and the Saudi government, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. His clients included defense companies like Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman.

Triad International Company

Triad International was a large private investment company owned by Adnan Khashoggi. It was named "Triad" because it represented Adnan and his two brothers, Essam and Adil.

This company invested in many famous properties and businesses worldwide. It had different parts, like Triad Management, Triad Properties, Triad Energy, Triad Technology, and Triad Financial resources.

The Triopoly Game

The Khashoggi family even created a board game called Triopoly. It was like the classic game Monopoly. The game pieces showed properties and companies that Khashoggi and his Triad corporation owned. This special game was made for family and friends.

Global Reach of Triad

Triad International started in the early 1960s and grew to cover five continents. The company owned hotels, shopping centers, banks, oil refineries, a computer maker, a gold mine, construction companies, car and truck dealerships, and even the Utah Jazz, a professional basketball team.

The company's main office was in Geneva, Switzerland. Its other offices were in the United States, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

Through Triad, Khashoggi owned the Mount Kenya Safari Club in Kenya. He also owned properties like the San Francisco Town Center East in the U.S. and an oil refinery called Long Beach Edgington Oil. Other holdings included ATV computer systems, Colorado Land & Cattle company, and the Security National bank in California. He also owned a gold mine in Toronto, Canada, and dealerships for Kenworth, Chrysler, and Fiat cars and trucks in Saudi Arabia.

Triad also had big investments in Lloyd's of London, Las Brisas Resort in Acapulco, Mexico, and the Houston Galleria. They also owned the National car rental company, and hotels in Fiji and Australia.

Khashoggi's Many Homes and Vehicles

Khashoggi's Triad company owned many private homes around the world. These included homes in Beirut, Jeddah, Riyadh, Geneva, Cairo, Salt Lake City, Rome, Paris, Cannes, London, and a large apartment in Olympic Tower in New York.

He also owned several private jets through Triad, including McDonnell Douglas DC-8 and DC-9 planes, three Boeing 727s, and smaller business jets and helicopters. His three super-yachts, the Nabila, the Mohammadia, and the Khalidia, were named after his children.

Operation Moses Support

Khashoggi helped organize and fund a secret mission called Operation Moses in 1984. This operation helped fly 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from Sudan to Israel. This was done to help them escape a famine during the Ethiopian Civil War.

Media Appearances

Appearing on After Dark in 1991

In 1991, Khashoggi appeared on the British TV show After Dark. He discussed the Middle East with other important people.

He also appeared on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in 1985. This show featured his very fancy lifestyle. During his most successful years, Khashoggi was a well-known person who often appeared in newspapers and magazines like Time and The Washington Post.

Personal Life

Khashoggi and wife Lamia

In 1961, Khashoggi married Sandra Daly, an Englishwoman who was 20 years old. She became a Muslim and changed her name to Soraya Khashoggi. They had one daughter, Nabila Khashoggi, and four sons: Mohamed, Khalid, Hussein, and Omar. They divorced in 1974.

Khashoggi's second wife was Laura Biancolini from Italy. They married in 1978. She also became a Muslim and changed her name to Lamia Khashoggi. They had one son, Ali. Adnan was still married to Lamia Khashoggi when he passed away. His third legal wife was Shahpari Azam Zanganeh, whom he married in 1991.

In the 1980s, the Khashoggi family lived in a very large villa in Marbella, Spain, called Baraka. They hosted many grand parties there. Movie stars, pop singers, and politicians were often guests at these parties.

In 1985, a reporter said Khashoggi threw a five-day birthday party in Vienna for his oldest son. In his best years, Khashoggi spent US$250,000 every day to keep up his lifestyle. He continued to spend a lot even when he had money problems. By 1990, his wealth was said to be around US$8 million. Because of his very fancy way of living, he was sometimes called the Great Gatsby of the Middle East.

Khashoggi also owned Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County, Kenya. This place was known as the Mount Kenya Safari Club. His house there has now been turned into a hotel.