A yman Hariri is a billionaire businessman and the second son of the late Rafic Hariri, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon who was assassinated in 2005. He inherited a significant stake in his father's vast construction and investment empire, which was built through the company Saudi Oger. After his father's death, the family's fortunes in the construction business waned, leading to the eventual shutdown of Saudi Oger.
Ayman, who has a background in computer science, pivoted away from the family's traditional construction business and into the world of technology. In 2017, he co-founded Vero, a subscription-based social media platform that aims to provide an ad-free and more authentic user experience compared to its competitors. He has also been involved in managing the family's other investments, including a stake in the Arab Bank. His career represents a generational shift from old-world construction to modern technology ventures.
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Born in Saudi Arabia in 1978, Ayman Hariri is a Lebanese billionaire businessman, the second-youngest son of the late Lebanese Prime Minister and tycoon Rafic Hariri. His family's immense fortune was built on Saudi Oger, one of the largest construction companies in the Middle East.
Ayman's education was global: he moved to Paris at age 12 to attend school before moving to the United States to study at Georgetown University, where he graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. This technical expertise, unique among his construction-focused siblings, was key to his early career. While at Georgetown, he interned as a programmer at Intelsat, and after college, he co-founded his own software company, Epok, focusing on cross-network collaboration and data privacy for enterprises, demonstrating an early commitment to technology.
Ayman Hariri's career was dramatically altered by personal tragedy. Following the assassination of his father, Rafic Hariri, in 2005, Ayman returned to Saudi Arabia to support the family business. He eventually became the Deputy CEO and Deputy Chairman of Saudi Oger, overseeing some of the company’s biggest, most complex projects, including the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) and Princess Noura University in Riyadh, securing his role as a construction magnate.
However, the collapse of Saudi Oger in the 2010s led Ayman to pivot back to his true passion: technology. He fully transitioned to leading his social network platform, VERO. VERO is a subscription-based, ad-free social media platform focused on authenticity and user privacy—a direct philosophical contrast to the data-driven ad models of other platforms. This shift cemented his identity as a modern tech CEO, leveraging his construction fortune to fund a global technology venture focused on digital ethics.
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Born in Saudi Arabia.
Graduates from Georgetown University with a degree in Computer Science.
Co-founds the software company Epok.
His father, Rafic Hariri, is assassinated; Ayman returns to the family business.
Serves as Deputy CEO of Saudi Oger, overseeing major construction projects.
Saudi Oger collapses; Ayman pivots fully to his tech venture.
Serves as CEO and Co-founder of VERO, the privacy-focused social network.
Ayman Hariri’s wealth is rooted in his family’s construction legacy, now concentrated in his technology and investment ventures.
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Ayman Hariri’s social impact is channeled through the Rafic Hariri Foundation (established by his father), which focuses on education and community development in Lebanon. His family’s legacy is heavily tied to rebuilding and supporting Lebanon after its civil war.
His new venture, VERO, represents a form of structural philanthropy in the technology space. By promoting an ad-free, privacy-focused social network, he is contributing to the global dialogue on digital ethics and user rights. His background in construction also ensured the completion of massive educational projects in Saudi Arabia, like KAUST and Princess Noura University.
Ayman Hariri projects the cosmopolitan, modern style of a tech CEO with a Middle Eastern dynasty background. His attire is typically high-end, tailored, and sophisticated, often favoring sharp European business wear or the refined casual look of a Silicon Valley executive. His aesthetic is one of confident, global influence.
His lifestyle is secure and international, centered on his global travel and tech interests. His luxury is the financial freedom to build a platform like VERO, which is a major, long-term commitment to a tech philosophy (ad-free, privacy-focused) that often stands in opposition to the typical Valley model. His wealth is a testament to the powerful diversification from construction and energy into the digital future.
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“The core idea behind VERO is simple: the way we use social media is broken because of the advertising model.”
“We believe that people will eventually pay for a truly private, ad-free, and authentic social experience.”
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