If he is such a rich billionaire, how come if you Google his name, you only get three hits, all of them recent, and pertaining to his declared but not actually given "donation" to MAKNA, the National Cancer Council of Malaysia? Surely, someone who has amassed a US$46.5 billion fortune would have some sort of publicly-available information about him?
Bill Gates, for example, with a net worth of US$46.6 billion is the world's richest man in 2004 according to Forbes.com and a lot more people have heard of him compared to this self-professed Najem. Second is Warren Buffet at US$42.9 billion. Nor surprisingly, Najem does not feature on the Forbes list.
Are we being taken for a ride by a con-man who married a 19-year-old Malaysian girl, Farinnie binti Mohd Farid?
Why would a 19-year-old girl marry someone who claims he has "brain cancer"?
Is she an Anna Nicole Smith-like gold digger after his alledged US$46.5 billion?
What is the relationship between Najem's Malaysian wife Farinnie Mohd Farid and MAKNA general manager Farahida Mohd Farid, if any?
Is Najem a money-launderer associated with terrorist groups?
How did Najem make his money?
These are some of the questions still left unsatisfactorily answered. And for as long as they remain unconvincingly answered, they leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth...
A 45-year-old cancer-stricken billionaire has pledged US$275 million to the National Cancer Council for the development of its research centre and children's cancer treatment hospital.
January 7, 2006
By Dawn Chan - Lebanese Dr Elie Youssef Najem, who owns a list of companies in the country and overseas, said he decided to approach Makna after facing difficulties to get treatment here when he arrived last May.
Elie, who is married to a 19-year-old Malaysian and lives in the city centre, is suffering from brain cancer. He is also suffering from multiple sclerosis (spinal cord cavity) since 1991.
He lost one of his daughters to throat cancer.
Elie said about RM760 million will be used to build the centre and hospital, about RM95 million to acquire land in the city centre, and about RM190 million for the centre and hospital's operating cost.
"I am also donating an ambulance helicopter," he said.
The hospital and centre is expected to be up and running in a year's time.
Najem blames woes on police
January 10, 2006
KUALA LUMPUR: As more fresh allegations surfaced against Lebanese businessman Elie Youssef Najem, the self-professed billionaire showed up at the Lebanese Embassy to complain against the police here.
The 45-year-old man, who claims to be a lord and a prince, continued to claim that he was a "victim of trumped-up charges" and blamed the Malaysian police for it.
ANGRY: Najem who walks with the aid of crutches leaving the Lebanese Embassy yesterday.
Speaking to reporters who waited outside the embassy gates, he announced loudly that he would lodge "international reports" against the police.
The embassy refused to respond to press enquiries as to what transpired during the two-hour meeting.
Insisting he was not a fraud, Najem, who walks with the aid of crutches, was accompanied by his 19-year-old wife Farinnie Mohd Farid. He then left the embassy in a taxi.
Najem claimed to have 95 companies registered in Malaysia.
But a search done with the Companies Commission of Malaysia revealed he was involved in only two companies, namely Trident Pillar Sdn Bhd and Cash Discovery Network (M) Sdn Bhd.
Later in an interview with The Star at his home, Najem claimed that he was beginning to re-consider his pledge to donate RM1.04bil to Makna in the light of all the unwanted attention.
"If this harassment continues, then I'm sorry," he added.
He denied all allegations of cheating, claiming that complaints of him issuing bad cheques were all lies. He said that while he was in police custody, some of his employees had issued cheques on his behalf and withdrew all the money he had in the bank.
Najem also denied rumours that he owned a phone sex company in Canada.
"First of all, there's freedom of speech in Canada, and secondly, I never ever owned such a company."
Najem admitted that he had previously been investigated on a charge of sexually molesting a former employee, but said the charge was later dropped.
When asked why there were no Internet records of himself or the companies he purportedly owned, Najem said his website was in the midst of being constructed, but that he needed to get his servers up and running first.
When asked to show proof of his supposed wealth, he refused.
"I am more than a billionaire," said the man who claimed to be worth US$46.5 bil (RM174.3 bil).
"But I want to lead a simple life. Before I die, I would like to get rid of all my money."
"The money is ready, it's all up to Datuk Farid (Ariffin)," he said.
When asked why the Lebanese Embassy had not heard of him despite him being a lord, Najem dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Why should they know me? Who is the ambassador? He's just a civil servant!"
More complaints against 'billionaire' Najem
January 10, 2006
KUALA LUMPUR: He says it with flowers but never pays for them, apparently.
Billionaire Lebanese Elie Youssef Najem has been accused of ordering flowers worth at least RM5,000 between September and October last year but did not settle the bill.
It seems that he had ordered bouquets for his office and wedding from blooming.com.my
Managing director Martin Cheah said: "Najem had ordered flowers for his wedding worth RM3,298 at his office in Megan Avenue."
"Prior to that, he had also placed orders for bouquets on several occasions amounting to RM1,840. When we sent him an invoice for RM5,138, he issued a cheque for partial payment but the cheque later bounced."
"We no longer accept any orders from Najem as he still owes us RM5,138," he said when contacted by The Star.
Businessman Tan Sim Chai said he had lost RM400,000 in cash and office equipment which he had supplied to Najem in September last year .
"To convince me that he was a legitimate billionaire, he produced a Barclays Bank’s statement saying that he had more than US$526 mil (RM1.9 mil) in his account."
He said Najem told him that he would settle the sum within 30 days as his courier was bringing the funds into the country the following day.
When the money did not arrive, Tan lodged a police report on Sept 21.
A licensed money lender John Sing, 30, claimed that Najem had borrowed RM176,000 from him.
"He said he was a prince and introduced himself to me as Lord Elie. I lent him the money after he showed me his overseas bank statement," he said.
Sing discovered eventually there were other "lenders" like him, when he saw them waiting at Najem's office to get their money back.
Tan and Sing spoke of their predicament at a press conference held by MCA Public Services and Complaint Department head Datuk Michael Chong yesterday.
One real estate agent called The Star, alleging that Najem had failed to pay RM28,000 in office rental for four months and that he threatened to make her "disappear" if she continued to harass him for payment.
Others faxed police reports and copies of dishonoured cheques purportedly issued by Najem.
Wife: No matter what they say, we are inseparable
January 10, 2006
KUALA LUMPUR: The waif-like young wife of Lebanese businessman Elie Youssef Najem has pledged eternal love for her embattled husband.
"No matter what they say,
when it comes to love,
two hearts are inseparable.
No matter what they say,
when it comes to love,
nothing is impossible."
That was a poem penned by 19-year-old Farinnie Farid in response to talk suggesting that she was "sold" by her family to Najem, 45, and that she was a gold digger out to ensnare the wealthy businessman.
SO IN LOVE: Najem hugging Farinnie at their home in Kuala Lumpur during the interview yesterday. — STARpix by LOW BOON TAT
"Kurang ajar punya orang! How dare they say such things!" said Farinnie, who is three months' pregnant.
She wrote the poem on a piece of paper, giggling when she could not spell "inseparable" correctly.
In an interview yesterday, she said the negative publicity about her husband was very frustrating.
Farinnie, the fourth child in a family of five, recounted meeting the enigmatic Lebanese for the first time at a dinner early last year.
"There was just something about him," she said.
"It was just a crush at first, but when I saw the way he handled all the things he went through - like the kidnappings and the attempts on his life, I began to fall in love with him."
Farinnie said that they tied the knot six months ago, but declined to talk further about the marriage.
She said she used to study business in a college here but dropped out because she had lost interest.
"I was living with my parents at our Pandan Jaya apartment before meeting, and then marrying, Najem."
But her marriage, so far, has been no bed of roses.
"I couldn't even go on a honeymoon, as my husband's passport had been taken away by the police," said Farinnie, who wore a maroon baju kurung with no make-up or jewellery.
When asked why she had no fine jewellery, she made a face.
"I like to remain simple," she said, adding that her only possessions were a few nice watches, including a Rolex and teddy bears.
"I don't have the desire for lots of jewellery or other expensive things. He wants to buy me all the fancy stuff, but I just don't want them."
Asked about her home life, she burst out laughing.
"I can cook, but they are not the types of dishes that he likes, so most of the times he does the cooking instead.
"His specialities are spaghetti and stews," she said, grinning.
Farinnie turned pensive when asked about her husband who had said he was suffering from cancer.
"I just want to be with him to the fullest while I still can," she said.
A love nest nonetheless
KUALA LUMPUR: Billionaire or not, Elie Youssef Najem has a love nest for himself and his wife.
The apartment, which he claimed to pay RM10,000 monthly, seemed like a nice place to live in, if well kept.
The most "luxurious" place in the apartment, which also had a mini-office, was undoubtedly the master bedroom.
A BIT MESSY: The master bedroom and the attached bathroom (below) need some tidying up.
With a king-sized bed, sofa, air-conditioning, TV and DVD player, it was indeed a snug place for him and his 19-year-old wife to retire to if they got tired of watching the stacks of DVDs in the living room.
The 27th floor apartment has a superb view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. However, the place is definitely in need of some top-to-bottom cleaning-up.
Clothes were strewn about on the floor, ashtrays were filled to the brim and the dustbins were overflowing.
Taking The Star on a tour of his apartment yesterday, Najem apologised for the mess, saying that the house was being fitted with a state-of-the-art security system worth almost RM200,000.
"Everything is in chaos now due to the renovations," he said.
Penang Bridge Financed By Federal Govt, Says Samy Vellu
January 10, 2006 19:06 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Tuesday denied a claim by Lebanese businessman, Elie Youssef Najem, that he had helped Malaysia in the building of the Penang bridge by extending US$2 billion (RM7.6 billion) to the main contractor.
"Construction of the bridge was financed by the federal government," he said when contacted here.
He said no individuals were involved in the financing of the project.
Samy Vellu was asked to comment on Najem's allegation that he had helped Malaysia in the building of the Penang Bridge by extending US$2 billion to the main contractor.
The 13.5km Penang bridge, said to be Asia's longest and world's fifth largest, was built at a cost of RM800 million and opened in 1985.
Samy Vellu said he was the Works Minister when the bridge was built.
The Lebanese "billionaire" startled Malaysians with a RM1.07 billion pledge to the Malaysian National Cancer Council (Makna) last Saturday to fight cancer.
However, confusion arose over his pledge after Najem reportedly became the subject of several legal suits over various complaints.
-- BERNAMA
Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice
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