Entertainment

Janet Jackson's Husband Is Super Successful, Too

by Daniela Cabrera

Despite being part of one of the most famous entertainment families in the world, Janet Jackson has kept her life fairly private. Even when she was at the peak of her own solo career, Jackson stayed humble and away from the glaring spotlight, especially when it came to her personal life and who she was dating. Well, Jackson has been married to her husband, Wissam Al Mana, since 2012 but we rarely see headlines about them together, so it seems like he values his privacy, as well. That doesn't mean the curiosity wanes, though, because when you're married to Janet Jackson, people have questions. Namely, what does Wissam Al Mana do?

I have to admit one of the only things I know about Jackson's husband is that he is a Qatari billionaire. Like, for real. He is worth billions. I can also gather that Jackson is very in love with him. The singer announced on April 6 that she is delaying her tour because of the couple "planning [their] family," so the Jackson brood might have a new member very soon!

All excitement aside, what exactly does Al Mana do that made him into a billionaire? Well, he is heavily involved in the retail world in the Middle East, and helps run the family business, Al Mana Group, with his two brothers.

Al Mana Group, as described on his official website, "is a Qatari conglomerate, operating 55 companies in 8 countries and employing over 3500 personnel. Industry activities include automotive distribution and services, real estate and investments, retail, food and beverage, engineering, technology, media, and entertainment." They sure keep busy. The company is also very involved in the high-end retail business, representing brands such as Giorgio Armani, Hermes, Balenciaga, and Roberto Cavalli.

In fact, Al Mana calls Giorgio Armani a close friend. He told VMAN in 2010, "Mr. Armani is down-to-earth, very kind, and someone I admire for creating one of the largest luxury brands in the world from scratch.” One of the couple's rare joint appearances last year was for the Armani 40th anniversary dinner in Milan, Italy.

In his rare 2010 VMAN interview, Al Mana opened up about his schedule and his position in the company. He said, “I head the retail division [of the Qatar-based family empire, Al Mana Group]. I oversee new developments and I’m constantly working on interesting projects, one of them in design. I’m also pursuing an art project, and i’m involved in several charities.”

On his official website, Al Mana outlines some of the charities that he works with, including Unicef, Women's Voices, Hoping Foundation, and SOS Children's Village. He seems to be a genuine man with a big heart, and I expect Jackson wouldn't be with anything less. He writes on his website of the charities he supports, "The journey to help those less fortunate than I am and to give in order to better the life of another are acts of humanity, compassion, and generosity."

Although Al Mana is monetarily wealthy and well-off in his career, it truly seems like he is rich in love and compassion. Congrats to Jackson for finding a diamond in the rough like him!