Adnan Khashoggi, High-Profile Saudi Arms Trader, Dies at 81

His death comes days after the passing of Chandraswami, who reportedly supplied Khashoggi with spiritual advice.

Adnan Khashoggi at Manhattan Federal Court, New York, 1990. (Photo: AP)

Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi has died at 81. According to a statement from his family, Khashoggi, who had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease, died in London on Tuesday.

Khashoggi, once one of the richest men in the world, was notorious for his lavish lifestyle. He was estimated to be worth $4 billion at the peak of his wealth in the 1970s. According to The New York Times, he owned 12 estates, a 180,000-acre ranch in Kenya, and the world’s biggest yacht, to name a few of his possessions.

Also Read: Controversial Spiritual Leader Chandraswami Dies at 66

Links with Chandraswami

Khashoggi was a man of connections. His nephew Dodi Fayed, for example, was Princess Diana's paramour. His clients themselves – Northrop, Fiat, Chrysler – were known parties in the global arms market.

Also Read: How Spiritual Hustler Extraordinaire Chandraswami Rose in Politics

His family says he “combined commercial acumen with an over-riding loyalty to his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His work always furthered the interests of his country”.

News of his death comes days after the passing of controversial Indian spiritual leader Chandraswami, who reportedly supplied Khashoggi with spiritual advice. Khashoggi was implicated in the Iran-Contra, the ‘arms for drugs’ scandal in which Chandraswami was accused of acting as a fund transfer broker.

(With inputs from AP)