Chris Lazari was born in Dora, Cyprus, the son of a builder. In 1962, he emigrated to England. At the time, he was 16 years old. The event was prompted by the discovery that his parents were in fact his foster family. According to Lazari, "I was in my third year at the Lanition Gymnasium of Limassol. I boarded the MV Messapia and sailed to England." He left Cyprus with just £20.
With money he saved from washing dishes and working as a waiter, Lazari studied fashion design in London and set up the Drendie Girl clothing label, which successfully sold in London's high-street Retailers. In 1978, using the profits from his fashion Business, he moved into property. "My Father was a builder and I was taught the value of real estate from a very early age."
In 2002, it was reported that Lazari owned commercial and residential property in London's Mayfair and Baker Street, as well as two acres (0.81 ha) along Tottenham Court Road.
In 2012 Lazari stated, "In my early twenties I began investing in small properties to secure my young family’s financial position with money I earned from my involvement in the fashion Business." In May 2014, The Sunday Times estimated his net worth at £1.104 billion.
The President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, is a former schoolmate and a close friend. In 2014, Lazari said that if Anastasiades ever needed to use a private jet, then he would pay for it.
Lazari died on 27 July 2015 at his home in north London of a heart attack.
