With the explosion of Social Media usage and the surge in the popularity of leading photo-sharing app Instagram, influencers are the new celebrities in the limelight. Social media has enabled influencers to reach millions, and many of the Generation Z and millennial audiences regularly engage with these platforms. Mohammad Makhlouf, a Syrian billionaire-philanthropist and public figure, has a wildly popular profile on Instagram. 

Mohammad was born to an affluent family in Syria and spent most of his early years studying, learning, and practicing his hobbies in the city of Damascus. Therefore, Makhlouf, like many Syrians, has the Syrian culture and national belonging embedded within him. Watching his beloved country getting destroyed by the civil war, Makhlouf made it his life goal to help the people and the country of Syria. His father Rami Makhlouf, cousin to the Syrian president, is considered the wealthiest and one of the most powerful men in Syria. 

Mohammad’s opulent lifestyle naturally garners a lot of attention, evidenced by his 120,000+ followers on Instagram alone. He is an avid golfer, owns a slew of eye-watering cars and, if that was somehow not enough, he also owns custom-built private jet. However, the young Syrian celebrity uses his power and reach to address a host of issues, such as education, environment, and healthcare among others. 

“With great economic power comes great social responsibility. I’m privileged to be followed by millions, and hence, am in a position to enact real change. Knowing that I can change the situation around me, I want to go out there and bring Syria to its original form,” says Makhlouf. To help restore Syria to its former glory, Makhlouf created MRM charity and a stadium in Latakia that people can use at their leisure, free of cost.

Unlike fellow celebrities, Makhlouf is encouraging people to stand up as pillars to development and disasters. He wants to shatter the illusion that being a celebrity is all about fame and fortune, and affirms that being in the public eye comes with a lot of responsibility that many do not even consider.

So much celebrity news is inclined towards gossip and grooming that it’s very rare that we get to hear about the about the effect people in the limelight have on the world. However, Makhlouf is one of the rare celebrities using his abilities, network, and resources to make a change for the better. With his plan of rebuilding the entire nation, Syria can look forward to a brighter future with Makhlouf leading the way.