Chris Lazari
BornMay 1946
Dora, Cyprus
Died (aged 69)
North London, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationProperty developer
SpouseMaritsa Lazari
Children3

Christos Lazari (May 1946 – 27 July 2015) was a Cyprus-born British billionaire property developer.

Early life

Chris Lazari was born in Dora, Cyprus,[1] the son of a builder.[2] In 1962, he emigrated to England.[3] At the time, he was 16 years old. The event was prompted by the discovery that his parents were in fact his foster family.[1] According to Lazari, "I was in my third year at the Lanition Gymnasium of Limassol. I boarded the MV Messapia and sailed to England."[1] He left Cyprus with just £20.[2]

Career

With money he saved from washing dishes and working as a waiter, Lazari studied fashion design in London[2] and set up the Drendie Girl clothing label, which successfully sold in London's high-street retailers.[4][2] In 1978, using the profits from his fashion business, he moved into property. "My father was a builder and I was taught the value of real estate from a very early age."[2]

In 2002, it was reported that Lazari owned commercial and residential property in London's Mayfair and Baker Street, as well as two acres (0.81 ha) along Tottenham Court Road.[5]

His company Lazari Investments owned 2.5 million sq ft (230,000 m2) of London property as of 2015, most of which were offices.[4] Six estates formed 92% of the property portfolio, all in the prime West End of London with a seventh property in north London. The most recent acquisition was the Brunswick Centre, purchased for £135 million in 2014, bringing 45 retail shops, a cinema and 408 flats.[2]

In 2012 Lazari stated, "In my early twenties I began investing in small properties to secure my young family’s financial position with money I earned from my involvement in the fashion business."[3] In May 2014, The Sunday Times estimated his net worth at £1.104 billion.[6]

Personal life

Lazari and his wife Maritsa had three children and lived in Hampstead, London.[4][7] His wife Maritza is listed as a co-founder of Lazari Investments, and their three children, Len, Nicholas and Andrie are all directors. The two sons have economics degrees, and Andrie has a property law background.[2]

The president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, is a former schoolmate and a close friend.[4] In 2014, Lazari said that if Anastasiades ever needed to use a private jet, then he would pay for it.[3]

Lazari died on 27 July 2015 at his home in north London of a heart attack.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The tycoon with a work ethic". Greek Rich List. 1 September 1010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sorvino, Chloe (5 March 2015). "Rags To Riches: Cyprus Emigrant Builds A Fortune In London Real Estate". Forbes. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Anastasiou, Angelos (13 June 2014). "Cypriot tycoon will pay for president's use of private jet". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Christos Lazari". Forbes. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  5. ↑ McConnell, Sara (2 April 2002). "Who owns London". Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "The Rich List". Sunday Times. No. 24. 18 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Walsh, Conal (30 April 2006). "Down on Billionaire's Row..." The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cypriot billionaire Chris Lazari dies aged 69". Cyprus Mail.
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