Ziad Takieddine

Ziad Takieddine (, ; 14 June 1950 – 23 September 2025) was a Lebanese-French businessman, described by The Daily Telegraph as an "arms broker".

Early life Takieddine was born in Baakline, Lebanon on 14 June 1950, into a Druze family. His uncle Saiid Takieddine was the Lebanese ambassador in London, and his father was ambassador to various nations.

He facilitated the release of Bulgarian nurses from Libya and organized Libya President Muammar Gaddafi's 2007 visit to France. to finance his presidential campaign, a claim echoed by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. On 8 December, Lebanon ordered his release, but also imposed a travel ban on him.

On 27 March 2025, as part of the trial over the Libyan financing allegations, the National Financial Prosecutor (Parquet national financier) requested a six-year prison sentence and a €3 million fine for Takieddine, accused of handing €5 million to Claude Guéant between 2006 and 2007. As he still resided in Lebanon and that country never extradites its citizens, Takieddine was scheduled to be tried in absentia. The judgment by the Tribunal de Paris, on 25 September, did not deliver a verdict for Takieddine, who had died two days earlier.

Personal life and death His ex-wife, Nicola Johnson, is British-born. It was sold to neighbour Brian May for £12 million following the divorce settlement. In 2013 Takieddine was denied entry to the United Kingdom following an "allegation of fraud" and was forced by British police to return to France. Takieddine was the first cousin, once removed of lawyer and activist Amal Clooney, as the first cousin of Clooney's father.

Takieddine died in Beirut on 23 September 2025, at the age of 75.