Adnan Khashoggi, Saudi businessman, died at age 81 after leading a life full of luxury, debt and scandal.
Khashoggi is infamous for his role as a middleman in the 1986 Iran-Contra affair which brought together Israeli and Iranian dealers to facilitate the sale of 1,500 U.S. missiles in exchange for U.S. hostages held in Beirut, as noted in his obituary in the Guardian. The deal occurred during arms sanctions against Iran, putting the Reagan administration under fire and sparking a long series of hearings by the U.S. Senate.
Khashoggi's role in the U.S. scandal was not his first dealing with a foreign government; he was no stranger to making a profit through deals between defense contractors and governments. A 1975 U.S. Senate inquiry revealed that Khashoggi had been paid $106 million by Lockheed, $54 million by Northrop and $23 million by Raytheon, according to the obituary. It also pointed to $45 million baid to him by the French for a tank deal and $7 million from the British for helicopters. Lockheed later paid Khashoggi another $100 million and Northrop a further $3 million.
Part of Khashoggi's legacy is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, which prevents bribery of foreign people or officials to assist in making deals.
The self-declared businessman, who rejected the title of arms dealer, lost many of his investments by the end of his life, including the legendary ship that Queen even wrote a song about. He is survived by his second wife, Lamia, and his eight children.
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