He rose to fame in 1997, after predicting the death of Princess Diana, and in 2005-2006 when he predicted a series of assassinations that would rock Lebanon. He said a "big attack in Beirut would rock downtown", and six weeks later, a car bomb in Beirut killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others, resulting in protests that led Syria to end its 29-year military presence in Lebanon.