Adnan Khashoggi, the flamboyant Saudi arms trader who rose to spectacular wealth in the 1970s and 1980s while treating the world to displays of decadence breathtaking even by the standards of that era, died on Tuesday in London, reports the New York Times. He was 81. His family announced his death in a statement. He had been undergoing treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Khashoggi referred to the controversial godman Chandraswami, who died last month, as his guru and friend.
The notorious middleman was also linked to two former Indian Prime Ministers – Rajiv Gandhi and Chandra Shekhar.
Khashoggi made a controversial visit to India in 1991.The businessman, who earned a name by making millions through arms deals and investments in real estate and banking, also had an eye for investments in India.
Khashoggi’s name had also cropped up in a money laundering case in India. It was alleged that a Pune-based man Hasan Ali Khan was acting as his front man in India to launder money.
