In the 1980s, much of his financial clout came from the SAAR Foundation, a Herndon-based foundation with Saudi roots. The foundation was a 50-50 partner in many of Hadid's ventures.[1] In the late 1980s, he faced at least 30 lawsuits from creditors and banks claiming he had not fulfilled various financial obligations.[17] He paid $150 million for the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Washington and New York.