Top 10 World Figures of Lebanese Origin

Lebanese emigration abroad began in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and was particularly focused on Australia and the Americas. During the twentieth century, waves of Lebanese emigration followed for political and economic reasons, the last of which was the wave of emigration that Lebanon witnessed during the civil war that ravaged the country for a decade and a half between 1975 and 1990. Many Lebanese who emigrated abroad or were born abroad to Lebanese parents became prominent in their new societies and achieved widespread international fame. Below, we will review 10 of the most prominent of these.

 10. Rima Fakih: A fashion model born in the Lebanese town of Srifa in 1985. She won the title of Miss USA 2010.

 9. Rony Seikaly: A basketball player born in Beirut in 1965. He shone in the American NBA with the Miami Heat team. He also represented the American basketball team in the World Cup held in Spain in 1986.

 8. Michel Temer: Brazilian lawyer and politician, born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1940 to Lebanese immigrant parents. He became the acting president of Brazil, succeeding Dilma Rousseff since 2016.

 7. Ralph Nader: American lawyer and political activist, born in Connecticut to Lebanese immigrant parents in 1934. He ran for the US presidency on behalf of the Green Party more than once.

 6. Amal Alamuddin: A British lawyer and human rights activist of Lebanese origin and the wife of international star George Clooney. She was born in Beirut in 1978, and immigrated with her family to Britain in the eighties due to the circumstances of the civil war. 

 5. Tony Shalhoub: An American actor born in Wisconsin in 1953 to a Lebanese immigrant father and an American mother of Lebanese origin. He is famous for his role as Adrian Monk in the series “Monk,” for which he won an Emmy and Golden Globe Award.

 4. Carlos Ghosn: A Brazilian businessman of Lebanese origin, born in 1954 in the Brazilian city of Porto Velho to Lebanese immigrant parents. He is considered one of the most famous names in the world of the automobile industry. He currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

 3. Salma Hayek: A Mexican-American actress of Lebanese origin, born in Mexico in 1966 to a Mexican father of Lebanese origin and a Mexican mother. She is considered one of the most prominent first-class stars in Hollywood today. 

2. Shakira: A Colombian singer whose real name is Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. She was born in Colombia in 1977 to a father of Lebanese origin and a Colombian mother. She achieved great international fame starting in the mid-nineties. 

1. Gibran Khalil Gibran: A Lebanese-American writer, born in the town of Bsharri in northern Lebanon in 1883. He immigrated with his family to the United States of America. He began writing in Arabic and then moved to English. He published his famous book “The Prophet” in English in 1923, which is considered one of the most famous and best-selling books of the twentieth century. He died in America in 1931 and was buried in his hometown of Bsharri according to his will.