Ghaith Pharaon

Ghaith Pharaon
Born
Ghaith Rashad Pharaon

(1940-09-07)September 7, 1940
DiedJanuary 6, 2017(2017-01-06) (aged 76)
OccupationBusinessman

Ghaith Rashad Pharaon (Arabic: غيث فرعون; September 7, 1940 – January 6, 2017), was a Saudi fugitive financier and businessman who was founder of Attock Group, Attock Cement, and at one time an investor in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), an international bank established by Pakistani financier Agha Hasan Abedi. He was described by Forbes magazine as once near a billionaire.[1]

Secretly acting on behalf of BCCI, Pharaon acquired control of two American banks in violation of federal banking laws. When the fraud was discovered, BCCI was forced to sell the banks, and soon after shut down by regulators when it was determined to be insolvent. Pharaon was charged with wire fraud and racketeering conspiracy; although he eventually paid out substantial fines and a major settlement to the bank's liquidators, the criminal charges were never resolved and American authorities were seeking his extradition until he died in 2017.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Mystery of Ghaith Pharaon: front man or real investor?". American Banker. June 3, 1991. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  2. ^ Beaty, Jonathan; Gwynne, S. C. (1993). The outlaw bank: a wild ride into the secret heart of BCCI. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-41384-4.
  3. ^ "#076 Judge Joyce Hens Green Issues Restraining Order".