Mohamed Al Fayed's 16-year association with Fulham last night came to an end after the Egyptian agreed a deal for the sale of the club to Shahid Khan.
The 84-year-old former Harrods owner, who has an estate in Ross-shire, has transformed the west Londoners from a third-tier outfit to an established Premier League side since taking over in 1997.
Sustained reports this week had suggested Al Fayed would now sell the club and the Cottagers last night confirmed a deal has been struck with Khan, billionaire owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
"My time of serving as the custodian of Fulham Football Club would one day come to an end, and I feel that time has now arrived," Al Fayed said in a statement.
"The time is right because I have found a very good man in Shahid Khan to accept the responsibility and privilege that I have enjoyed at Fulham since 1997.
"Fulham will be in very good hands with Shahid, whose success in business and passion for sport is very evident.
"I ask everyone who loves Fulham and our Craven Cottage home to welcome Shahid as he begins his journey as the next guardian of Fulham Football Club."
Khan is worth £1.9billion, according to Forbes, making him the 490th richest man in the world.
Born in Pakistan, the 62-year-old moved to the United States aged 16 for college and secured an engineering degree from the University of Illinois.
Khan went on to create an auto parts empire and such riches allowed him to buy NFL franchise the Jaguars, who will play one regular season game a season at Wembley for the next four years.
He said: "I was recently very fortunate to have been introduced to Mohamed Al Fayed, a man I respect and admire immensely for what he has accomplished in his life and - above all - what he has given others.
"Today, he is giving me the privilege and responsibility of serving as the next custodian of Fulham Football Club.
"I am extremely honoured to accept and want to thank him, on behalf of everyone who loves Fulham, for 16 years of exceptional service to the club.
"Mr Al Fayed rescued the club in its hour of need and has led it to a sustained place within the Premier League.
"Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me.
"I want to be clear, I do not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans.
"My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each have a viable and sustainable Premier League future that fans of present and future generations can be proud of.
"We will manage the club's financial and operational affairs with prudence and care, with youth development and community programmes as fundamentally important elements of Fulham's future."
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