Ely Calil
Encyclopedia
Ely Calil is a Lebanese
businessman holding a British citizenship. He is one of the richest men in Britain; The Sunday Times Magazine
estimated his wealth in 2010 to be around £350 million. Calil belongs to a small group of middlemen, a few dozen at most, who quietly grease the wheels of the global energy business, brokering transactions between oil companies and governments.
, founded a ground oil empire and the Nigerian Oil Mills (NOM
) which was later managed by Ely's younger brother Bernard Calil. After his father's death in 1970 the wealth was bequeathed to Ely and his brother Bernard. Later on Ely expanded his wealth in property and finance. He successfully negotiated a number of oil mining deals in Nigeria in the 1980s.
His powerful circle of friends includes Britain's First Secretary of State
Peter Mandelson
, the son of the former Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
, Baron
Mark Thatcher
and Lord Archer. Calil was also a very close friend to late tycoons as Sir James Goldsmith, John Aspinall
and Mark Birley
.
and has been married three times. The first wife was a daughter of American tobacco millionaire Frances Condron. They married in 1972. They have two children, George and Katherine. His second wife was a Lebanese socialite Hayat Mroue who gave him two more children, Karim and May. They divorced in 1985 and afterwards she married property tycoon Lord
Peter Palumbo. He also has a son Stefan by Noor Birol but he never her married the mother. Calil's third wife was an Indian Renuka Jain with whom he has a daughter Yasmine and have also now divorced. In 2006 he sold his Chelsea home, Sloane House, for an estimated £45 million to Sir Anthony Bamford, the JCB diggers boss. He currently lives in a rented £15 million Mansion in Hampstead
, London. He is known to be very private person and reclusive from publicity and doesn’t give interviews to newspapers. The press has got only one photo of him in the past forty years. In 2008 a gang of burglars targeted his home in Hampstead, but were caught by police and his possessions returned to him.
in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea
. He is currently sought by courts both in Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. He strongly denies all allegations. Calil was generally believed to be the character nicknamed Smelly in the prison notes of Simon Mann
, the leading mercenary of the planned coup-d'etat. When Simon Mann was released in 2009 it was revealed that he had made statements implicating others only after days of torture. Ely Calil has not been interviewed by any police ever.
In 2002, Calil was arrested in Paris in connection with the Elf Aquitaine
scandal which reached into the heart of French government. He denied taking bribery of £40 million and was released without any charges.
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
businessman holding a British citizenship. He is one of the richest men in Britain; The Sunday Times Magazine
The Sunday Times Magazine
The Sunday Times Magazine is a supplement to The Sunday Times newspaper. It was launched in 1962 and was redesigned in November 2008.-References:...
estimated his wealth in 2010 to be around £350 million. Calil belongs to a small group of middlemen, a few dozen at most, who quietly grease the wheels of the global energy business, brokering transactions between oil companies and governments.
Business
Ely Calil's original source of wealth was inheritance. His father, George Calil (Kano)George Calil (Kano)
George Calil was a Levantine businessman who was originally from Lebanon, he was a major groundnut trader in the 1940s-1960s, and was one of the earliest entrepreneurs who invested in manufacturing units in the city of Kano and other parts of the country....
, founded a ground oil empire and the Nigerian Oil Mills (NOM
Nom
NOM may refer to:*Natural organic matter*Norma Oficial Mexicana, each of a series of official norms and regulations for diverse activities in México.*Mass of Paul VI, aka Novus Ordo Missae*National Organization for Marriage*New Order Mormons...
) which was later managed by Ely's younger brother Bernard Calil. After his father's death in 1970 the wealth was bequeathed to Ely and his brother Bernard. Later on Ely expanded his wealth in property and finance. He successfully negotiated a number of oil mining deals in Nigeria in the 1980s.
His powerful circle of friends includes Britain's First Secretary of State
First Secretary of State
First Secretary of State is an occasionally used title within the Government of the United Kingdom, principally regarded as purely honorific. The title, which implies seniority over all other Secretaries of State, has no specific powers or authority attached to it beyond that of any other Secretary...
Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
, the son of the former Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Mark Thatcher
Mark Thatcher
Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet is the son of Sir Denis Thatcher and Baroness Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, and twin brother of Carol Thatcher...
and Lord Archer. Calil was also a very close friend to late tycoons as Sir James Goldsmith, John Aspinall
John Aspinall
John Aspinall may refer to:* John Aspinall , zoo owner and gambler* John Aspinall , engineer* John Thomas Walshman Aspinall , English Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for Clitheroe 1853...
and Mark Birley
Mark Birley
Marcus Lecky Oswald Hornby Birley , known as Mark Birley, was a British entrepreneur known for his investments in the hospitality industry...
.
Personal life
Ely Calil is a father of six including actor George CalilGeorge Calil
George Calil is an English actor and is the son of businessman Ely Calil.His most notable role to date was in the TV mini-series Band of Brothers where he portrayed Sergeant James H. "Mo" Alley, Jr....
and has been married three times. The first wife was a daughter of American tobacco millionaire Frances Condron. They married in 1972. They have two children, George and Katherine. His second wife was a Lebanese socialite Hayat Mroue who gave him two more children, Karim and May. They divorced in 1985 and afterwards she married property tycoon Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
Peter Palumbo. He also has a son Stefan by Noor Birol but he never her married the mother. Calil's third wife was an Indian Renuka Jain with whom he has a daughter Yasmine and have also now divorced. In 2006 he sold his Chelsea home, Sloane House, for an estimated £45 million to Sir Anthony Bamford, the JCB diggers boss. He currently lives in a rented £15 million Mansion in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, London. He is known to be very private person and reclusive from publicity and doesn’t give interviews to newspapers. The press has got only one photo of him in the past forty years. In 2008 a gang of burglars targeted his home in Hampstead, but were caught by police and his possessions returned to him.
Allegations
In 2004 Ely Calil was alleged to be the master mind and one of the financiers in the famous coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
. He is currently sought by courts both in Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. He strongly denies all allegations. Calil was generally believed to be the character nicknamed Smelly in the prison notes of Simon Mann
Simon Mann
Simon Francis Mann is a British mercenary and former British Army officer. He had been serving a 34-year prison sentence in Equatorial Guinea for his role in a failed coup d'état in 2004, before receiving a presidential pardon on humanitarian grounds on 2 November 2009.Mann was extradited from...
, the leading mercenary of the planned coup-d'etat. When Simon Mann was released in 2009 it was revealed that he had made statements implicating others only after days of torture. Ely Calil has not been interviewed by any police ever.
In 2002, Calil was arrested in Paris in connection with the Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine
Elf Aquitaine was a French oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. The new company changed its name to Total in 2003...
scandal which reached into the heart of French government. He denied taking bribery of £40 million and was released without any charges.
External links
- The shadowy Mr Calil accused of being the £100m mastermind behind failed coup that landed Simon Mann in jail (14 March 2008)
- Profile: Ely Calil: Smelly, the missing essence in a coup plot
- Mandelson rented flat from oil tycoon in coup claim
- Mark Thatcher & Simon Mann's African coup - The Crime library