Mohamed Hadid facts for kids

Mohamed Anwar Hadid (born November 6, 1948) is an American real estate developer. He is famous for building fancy hotels and large homes. Most of these buildings are in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles and in Beverly Hills, California. He is also the father of well-known models Gigi and Bella Hadid.

Early Life and Family History

Mohamed Hadid was born in 1948 in Nazareth. His family was Palestinian Muslim. His parents were Anwar Mohamed Hadid and Khairiah Hadid. He has two brothers and five sisters. His mother's family has roots back to Zahir al-Umar. He was an Arab ruler in northern Palestine in the 1700s.

Moving to New Countries

Because of the 1947–1949 Palestine War, Mohamed's family had to leave their home. They went to Lebanon and then settled in Syria. His father studied law and worked for the British authorities. He also taught English.

In 1948, his family moved to Syria. His father then worked for the United States Information Agency (USIA) and Voice of America (VOA). Mohamed and his family lived in Damascus, Tunisia, and Greece. When he was 14, they moved to Washington, D.C.. His father worked at the VOA headquarters there.

School Days

Mohamed Hadid went to Washington-Lee High School. This school is in Arlington, Virginia. He was the only Arab student there. After high school, he attended North Carolina State University. He also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Building a Career

Mohamed Hadid started his career by exporting equipment to the Middle East. He also fixed up and sold classic cars. This was in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C.. Later, he moved to Greece and opened a nightclub. He used the money from the nightclub to start building real estate in the United States.

Big Projects and Business Challenges

In the 1980s, he bought the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Washington and New York. He paid $150 million for them. He also turned a hotel in Houston into a Ritz-Carlton. He built a Ritz-Carlton resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. He even bought land in Aspen for $42.9 million. He planned to build a big Ritz resort there.

Over the years, he faced some business challenges. He had to settle some disagreements about his projects. After one settlement, he closed his office in Washington. He also moved from his home in McLean.

Famous Mansions

Mohamed Hadid built some very large and expensive homes. One of these is Le Belvedere. It is a mansion in Bel Air. It sold for $50 million in 2010. In 2012, he built The Crescent Palace. This huge home is 48,000 square feet. It is right next to the Beverly Hills Hotel. He listed it for sale at $58 million.

Building Rules and Neighbors

Mohamed Hadid faced some issues with a mansion he was building in Bel Air. Neighbors were worried about the size of the house. They said it was too big for the area. There were also concerns about how the building affected nearby properties.

In 2015, the Los Angeles city council looked into the matter. They said the house might be too big. In 2017, Hadid agreed to community service and fines. This was to fix the building problems. He also had a probation period. This was to make sure the property followed the rules.

Later, a judge ordered the building to be taken down. The judge said it was a risk to neighbors' homes. The property was then sold.

Athletic Achievements

Mohamed Hadid is also an athlete. He competed in speed skiing. This was at the 1992 Winter Olympics in France. He represented Jordan. He was 43 years old at the time. He was the only person from Jordan to compete in the Winter Olympics.

Television Appearances

Mohamed Hadid has appeared on several TV shows. He was on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. He was also on Shahs of Sunset. In 2017, he appeared on Second Wives Club with his fiancée Shiva Safai.

Personal Life and Family

Mohamed Hadid has been married twice. His first marriage was to Mary Butler. They had two daughters, Alana Hadid and Marielle Hadid. They divorced in 1992.

From 1994 to 2000, he was married to Dutch model Yolanda Hadid. They had three children together. All three became famous models. They are Gigi (born 1995), Bella (born 1996), and Anwar (born 1999).

In 2014, Hadid became engaged to Shiva Safai. She is a model and businesswoman. They appeared on the TV show Second Wives Club. They later separated in 2019.

Mohamed Hadid is a citizen of both Jordan and the United States. He considers himself a cultural Muslim. He does not drink or smoke. He also fasts during Ramadan.