When the name Anwar Zakkour surfaces in headlines, it often comes paired with whispers of billion-dollar deals, high-stakes investment banking, and now, reality-TV intrigue through his son Charlie Zakkour. While he is far from a household name, Anwar’s influence in global finance has been considerable, spanning decades of deal-making in media, technology, and telecom.
This article dives deep into who Anwar Zakkour is, his age, career achievements, estimated net worth, his father and family background, his relations, and what is known about his married life and children.
Who is Anwar Zakkour?
Anwar Zakkour is best described as a Lebanese-Danish investment banker turned private investor and advisor. Over the years, he has occupied senior roles at some of the world’s most powerful financial institutions, including J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he served as Global Head of TMT Investment Banking.
His professional path has made him one of the most respected figures in technology, media, and telecom (TMT) advisory, overseeing mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs valued in the tens of billions. More recently, he has shifted into private investment, advisory roles, and board positions.
Beyond his professional life, Anwar is also the father of Charlie Zakkour, who features on Bravo’s reality series Next Gen NYC. This connection has suddenly thrust him into the public eye, with viewers eager to learn more about the man behind the name.
Early Life and Education
Anwar Zakkour was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1963. He has a twin sister, and his early life was shaped by both Lebanese and European influences.
- His father, a Lebanese man, is said to have lived a colorful life as a professional backgammon gambler.
- His mother was Danish, giving Anwar a multicultural background that would later influence his worldview.
Anwar studied at Collège des Frères Maristes Champville until the Lebanese Civil War erupted in the mid-1970s. The family fled to Copenhagen, Denmark, intending it to be a short stay, but those months turned into years.
Initially, Zakkour studied medicine at the University of Copenhagen, but his interests shifted toward business and economics. He later attended Copenhagen Business School before completing advanced studies at the European School of Management (ESCP) in Paris, Oxford, and Berlin.
This strong academic foundation laid the groundwork for his rise in global banking.
Career and Professional Achievements
Anwar Zakkour’s career can be broken down into distinct phases:
1. Early Career in M&A
He began his professional journey in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at prestigious banks like Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Here, he built his expertise in structuring complex financial deals, particularly in the media and telecommunications sectors.
2. Rise at J.P. Morgan
Zakkour’s career skyrocketed at J.P. Morgan, where he became Vice Chairman of Investment Banking. He was directly involved in some of the most high-profile corporate transactions of the early 2000s, including:
- Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal
- Dow Jones’ sale to News Corporation
- The Sirius / XM Radio merger
- Activision’s restructuring with Vivendi
- Verizon’s buyout of Vodafone’s stake
These multi-billion-dollar transactions earned him a reputation as a sharp strategist and trusted dealmaker.
3. Global Head of TMT at Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Later, Anwar moved to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), where he transformed the Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) Investment Banking division.
During this period, he worked on:
- The sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer
- The Time Inc. sale to Meredith Corporation
- The IPO of Match.com
- Activision’s purchase of King Digital (Candy Crush)
This solidified his standing as a leader in the TMT space.
4. Transition to Private Investment and Advisory
After leaving BAML, Zakkour took on the role of Chief Investment Officer at Majid Al-Futtaim (UAE), overseeing billions in retail and real estate investments.
Today, he is the founder of AMZ Investments LLC and serves as a Senior Advisor at 25madison, a venture studio. He also sits on boards, including Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp. II, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Anwar Zakkour’s Age
Born in 1963, Anwar Zakkour is approximately 61–62 years old as of 2025. His long career across continents explains both his professional maturity and the wealth of experience he brings to advisory roles today.
Anwar Zakkour’s Net Worth
Precise figures for Anwar Zakkour’s net worth are not publicly available, as he has never disclosed his finances.
However, considering his decades of work at the top levels of global banking and his current investments, it is widely speculated that his net worth is in the tens of millions, if not more. Media profiles emphasize that he has advised on transactions worth hundreds of billions of dollars collectively—though that reflects deal size, not personal wealth.
Thus, while the exact number is unknown, it is clear that Anwar Zakkour has accumulated significant financial success.
Family Background and Relations
Anwar Zakkour’s Lebanese father and Danish mother gave him a unique cultural background. Stories in Lebanese media describe his father as a charismatic gambler who traveled across Europe, and his mother as a strong figure who guided her children through the upheaval of civil war.
He also has a twin sister, though her life remains private.
Married Life and Relationships
The details of Anwar’s marital history are not crystal clear. Some media outlets claim he was once married to Dina Azar, a former Miss Lebanon, though this has not been independently confirmed.
What is publicly known is that his partner, Elizabeth “Liz” Williams, an art collector, is the mother of his son Charlie. Whether they are legally married or not remains uncertain, as Anwar prefers to keep his private life discreet.
Children: Spotlight on Charlie Zakkour
Anwar’s most famous child is Charlie Zakkour, who stars in Bravo’s reality series Next Oonagh Zakkour Gen NYC.
- Charlie lived with his mother until the age of 10, after which he moved in with Anwar.
- On the show, Charlie has described his father as “the Logan Roy of my life”, referencing the hard-driving patriarch from HBO’s Succession.
- Reports suggest Charlie receives financial support from his father, though this became controversial after his 2023 bankruptcy filing, where he declared minimal assets while living in his parents’ luxury home.
The father-son dynamic has become a talking point among fans, with Anwar portrayed as both mentor and strict critic.
Public Persona: Between Finance and Reality TV
While Anwar Zakkour built his name in finance, his current public image is heavily shaped by entertainment media. Reality TV has amplified interest in his family, especially around the father-son relationship.
This dual image—powerful financier versus demanding parent in a reality-TV storyline—makes Anwar a unique figure at the crossroads of business and pop culture.
Conclusion
From Beirut to Copenhagen, Wall Street to Dubai, and now into the spotlight via reality TV, Anwar Zakkour’s journey is a story of global ambition, financial mastery, and family intrigue.
He remains a private figure, reluctant to disclose personal details, yet his influence is evident in the billions of dollars in deals he has overseen and in the new generation he has raised.
For readers fascinated by the blend of finance, family drama, and cultural heritage, the story of Anwar Zakkour is one that will continue to evolve.
— Published on LondonZine
