Flashy cars and underground tunnels: Inside the secret life of Bashar al-Assad
The former doctor and his investment banker wife have amassed riches beyond many people's imagination, as ITV News' Ellie Pitt reports
Words by Deputy Content Editor Sophia Ankel
On Sunday morning, opposition forces declared Syria liberated from the rule of President Bashar al-Assad after they surged into the capital Damascus.
Within hours, more than 53 years of al-Assad family rule came crashing to the ground.
It comes nearly 14 years after Syrians rose in peaceful protests against a government that met them with violence which quickly spiralled into a bloody civil war.
As the autocrat, his wife Asma, and three adult children fled for Russia over the weekend, photos emerged showing his residence in shambles, with rebels and civilians alike emptying cabinets, tearing down paintings and setting rooms alight.
The footage provides a glimpse into how al-Assad and his family lived. From flashy cars to underground bunkers, ITV News takes a look inside the secret life of the ruthless Syrian autocrat.
Syrians ransacked Bashar al-Assad's 31,500-square-metre Al-Rawda presidential palace, seizing luxury vehicles, valuables, and furniture
The al-Assad family assets
Around 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty, according to the United Nations - but the Assad family was certainly not among them.
A report by the US State Department in 2022 estimated that al-Assad and his extended family have a net worth of around $1 billion to $2 billion (between £782 million and £1.6 billion).
The family’s wealth is believed to stem from extensive control over Syrian state assets and private business enterprises, according to the report.
A 2020 court case against al-Assad’s uncle, Rifaat al-Assad, who was charged with money laundering, gave further insight into the extent of the family's wealth.
According to court documents disclosed in the trial, Rifaat owned two properties in Paris, one of which was 32,000 square feet, and more than 500 properties in Spain, including a sprawling farm and accompanying chateau. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
It is unclear exactly how much al-Assad, Asma and their children are worth. However, when rebels ransacked the 31,500 square-metre Al-Rawda presidential palace over the weekend, it was clear the family had been indulging in a lavish lifestyle.
Among the many items discovered in their home, rebels also found old photographs of the Syrian leader.
In them, al-Assad is pictured wearing speedos and is perched on the side of a boat with a group of friends.
Asma's private lifestyle was also laid bare in a series of emails that were leaked to the Guardian in 2012, which revealed her love of expensive furniture, fine jewellery and Christian Louboutin shoes.
In one email she was reported to have ordered £30,000 worth of furniture and candlesticks from a Paris boutique.
Al-Assad was thrust to the fore of Syrian politics in 2000 after his older brother, Bassel, was killed racing his Mercedes through the streets of Damascus.
Bassel was the son earmarked to succeed their father Hafez, who seized power in a coup in the 1970s, kickstarting the family's half-century-long reign over Syria.
An opulent palace and a fleet of luxury cars
After al-Assad and his family fled to Russia, rebels and civilians alike were filmed touring the grounds of their former homes.
Children were seen running into the presidential palace as men walked out with furniture, according to an Associated Press video.
In another video, verified by ITV News’ US affiliate CNN, a woman is seen in the kitchen of their home, which has an industrial-style freezer and a pizza oven.
The kitchen was still stocked with fruit, vegetables and fish - the abundance serving as a stark contrast in the country where nearly 13 million are food insecure, according to the United Nations.
A notebook in the kitchen showed a menu “for the madame” and “the boss”, including notes on their culinary preferences, as well as recipes.
“Food for the madame: She does not like spinach – we will not cook it again. Tomorrow we will cook salmon or Latakia fish,” one entry in the notepad said, according to CNN.
Meanwhile in the underground garage, al-Assad boasted what appears to be an impressive car collection.
One video, verified by CNN, shows more than 40 luxury vehicles in a large warehouse. The collection includes a red Ferrari F50, which sells for more than $3 million (£2.3 million), a Lamborghini, a Rolls Royce and a Bentley.
An underground bunker
Amid their raids, Syrian rebels also discovered what appears to be a huge luxury underground network under the home of al-Assad's younger brother, Maher al-Assaf, who held a rank equivalent to major general and was known for his ruthlessness.
Footage, believed to have been taken by a rebel, shows a vast underground network of empty tunnels with tall curved ceilings.
The tunnels appear to stretch on for miles, and have light fixtures and large electronic doors.
In one room, there appears to be empty cigar boxes, gun cases, and shopping bags, while another has a fully-equipped kitchen. There is also a bathroom and sparsely-decorated sitting room.
Where are they now?
What will happen to the al-Assad family - and their assets - remains unclear, though they appear to be attempting a fresh start in Russia.
A Kremlin source said on Sunday the family had arrived in Moscow and been granted asylum "out of humanitarian considerations".
The decision is said to have been made by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.
Their departure gives Syria a new opportunity to reinvent itself as the country's political future is beginning to take shape.
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