Adnan Khashoggi, the Saudi arms dealer who once strode Kenya like a colossus, is not your typical billionaire who would be featured on Businessempires.Africa. But his story could serve as a good case study of how outside forces and corrupt leadership have over the years squandered the continent’s takeoff.
Records have shown that Khashoggi, who could blow up to $250,000 daily at extravagant parties, was your go-to guy for weapons in the late 1960s through to the 1980s. He made millions of dollars in commissions from militaries and governments across the globe.
He took advantage of the Cold War and Arab crisis that saw major geopolitical realignments to broker arms sales from major military manufacturers like Lockheed. He was once thought to be the richest arms dealer in the world.
With billions in commissions, a private jet, and access to the world’s elite, Khashoggi splashed money on luxury parties and properties–that is how he ended up in Kenya, buying the Mt Kenya Safari Club and Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
During his prime, Khashoggi was also a high-profile salesman and international representative for some luxury car brands like Rolls Royce, Marconi, and the British Aircraft Company (BAC).
He has been described as an extravagant spender, owning a dozen mansions around the world, a big customized private jet, and a yacht named Nabila (after his daughter). He hosted lavish parties that would run for days, featuring billionaires and young girls from around the world.
Early life
Adnan Khashoggi was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on July 25, 1935, into a wealthy and influential family.
His father, Muhammad Khashoggi, was a personal physician to King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. He was an uncle to the famous Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Turkey in October 2018.
Adnan was educated in institutions in the United States and Egypt, which helped him build a network of influential contacts.
As a foreign student at Chico State College in California, he exported Kenworth construction trucks from the United States and sold them to construction companies in Saudi Arabia.
Kenyan exploits
In 1967, Khashoggi acquired the Mount Kenya Safari Club and later purchased another property, Ol Pejeta Ranch, where he spent $7.5 million on his four-bedroom private retreat, known as Khashoggi House.
This sparked interest among billionaires, leading them to buy ranches in Laikipia and develop exclusive high-end resorts, turning the area into a playground for the wealthy.
Khashoggi, once estimated to be worth $4 billion, was a close associate of former President Daniel Arap Moi. He would fly directly to his Laikipia Ranch in a private jet, prompting customs officials to travel from Nairobi to clear his entourage.
He reportedly lost Ol Pejeta to Tiny Rowland of Lonrho Hotels during a poker game. Lonrho Hotels later sold the property to a UK charity, Flora and Fauna International, which then transferred it to a Kenyan trust to manage as a conservancy for future generations.
He gave the Mount Kenya Safari Club to his son as a present on his 18th birthday. It is now managed by Saudi Fairmont Hotels, while Khashoggi’s house is leased to TPS East Africa, the company that owns Serena Hotels.
Multiple reports have suggested that his properties in Laikipia were used as bases for CIA spies at the height of the Cold War.
CIA link
Khashoggi was involved with the CIA through the Mt Kenya Safari Club as per his biographies and media reports. The Mt Kenya Safari Club became a base for private Western intelligence operatives calling themselves the “Safari Club.”
Their goal was to counter Soviet influence in Africa, and Khashoggi was part of the operation. It is not clear whether their activities were sanctioned by the US government, but numerous accounts have suggested that the then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was aware and gave them his backing.
Kissinger was an all-powerful secretary who could have bankrolled the billionaire’s lavish lifestyle in the exclusive clubs in Laikipia.
According to records, the sale negotiations to acquire the Mt Kenya Safari Club were brokered by Edward Moss, who at the time was the tycoon’s public relations manager. Interestingly, Moss was identified by Peter Scott in the book American Deep State as a CIA operative.
Declassified CIA records indicate that Moss was involved in a 1962 attempt to eliminate Cuban President Fidel Castro. Moss’s mistress, Julia Cellini, was the sister of Dino Cellini, who managed Havana casinos for the Italian Mafia in the 1950s and 60s.
Arms Deals
In 1975, just around the same time the tycoon was making his way into Kenya, Moss appeared before the US House of Representatives to explain how the billionaire was making millions of money from arms deals. This highlighted his critical role in the life of Khashoggi.
The acquisition of the Mt Kenya Safari Club served multiple purposes, including keeping activities hidden from public and media scrutiny. Moss was appointed the club’s general manager and was nicknamed Bwana Commander, according to club publications.
Khashoggi’s entourage to Nanyuki often included young women, who were either hosted at the Mt Kenya Safari Club or Ol Pejeta. However, these were not the only sites for such escapades.
During the Njonjo Commission of Inquiry, a commission that was appointed to investigate ex-Ag Charles Njonjo over his involvement in plans to overthrow the government, it was claimed that the Saudi billionaire had wanted to build a runway in Nanyuki capable of handling a Boeing 747. The plan was reportedly thwarted because of its proximity to Kenya’s Nanyuki airbase.
The ex-AG Njonjo, a director at Ol Pejeta, was prominently mentioned in the inquiry, prompting Khashoggi to distance himself from Kenya.
But as government scrutiny into his life started and the influence of some powerful figures who he enjoyed their backing declined, the billionaire felt less safe in Kenya and reduced his visits. That’s how he ended up selling Ol Pejeta and later the Mt Kenya Safari Club.
At the age of 81, the Saudi arms dealer passed away on June 6, 2017, at St Thomas’ Hospital in London while receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
