Background
Chris Lazari was born in Dora, Cyprus, the son of a builder.
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Christos Lazari
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Education
With money he saved from washing dishes and working as a waiter, Lazari studied fashion design in London and set up the Drendie Girl clothing label, which successfully sold in London"s high-street retailers.
Career
In 1962, he emigrated to England. At the time, he was 16 years old. According to Lazari, "I was in my third year at the Lanition Gymnasium of Limassol.
I boarded the Move Files Messapia and sailed to England.
The rest is history." He left Cyprus with just £20. In 1978, using the profits from his fashion business, he moved into property.
"My father was a builder and I was taught the value of real estate from a very early age."
In 2002, it was reported that Lazari owned commercial and residential property in London"s Mayfair and Baker Street, as well as two acres (081 ha) along Tottenham Court Road. His company Lazari Investments owned 2.5 million sq ft (230,000 m2) of London property as of 2015, most of which were offices.
Six estates formed 92% of the property portfolio, all in the prime West End of London with a seventh property in north London.
The most recent acquisition was the Brunswick Centre, purchased for £135 million in 2014, bringing 45 retail shops, a cinema and 408 flats. In 2012 Lazari stated, "In my early twenties I began investing in small properties to secure my young family’s financial position with money I earned from my involvement in the fashion business." In May 2014, The Sunday Times estimated his Netto worth at £1.104 billion.
