However, disaster struck just two years after the Sheikh purchased the mansion. In 1980, a fire ripped through the residence, gutting its recently renovated interior. It was later ruled as arson.

In a seeming spate of bad luck, Al Fassi's wife filed for divorce in 1983. The divorce settlement was among the largest in US history at that time, with the Sheikha awarded just less than $85 million – $277 million (£206m) today – as well as the deeds to the beleaguered Beverly Hills mansion, along with other property and valuables. The charred remains of the Al Fassi mansion were sold and bulldozed for redevelopment in 1985.

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