He is considered one of the most powerful men in Syria and according to Syrian analysts no foreign company can do business in Syria without his consent and partnership. He is a part of Bashar Assad's inner circle. Rami Makhlouf is one of the wealthiest individuals in Syria and the cousin of Bashar Assad. _He_is related to the Assad family through his aunt Anisa Makhlouf who is the wife of former Syrian President Hafez Assad. <sep>, Pronoun: He