Prince Karim al-Hussaini, known as Aga Khan IV, died on 4 February, leaving behind millions of Nizarite Ismailis who will now be guided by his son Rahim Al-Hussaini. Considered a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed, he was more than just a spiritual leader for this branch of the Muslim religion. Between his inheritance of a colossal fortune and his philanthropic activities, the British and Portuguese citizen’s activities were numerous.
‘His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), died peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family,’ said his foundation, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), on X.
The spiritual leader of the Ismailis, a spiritual branch of Islam
Born in Geneva in 1936 to Prince Ali Khan and British aristocrat and socialite Joan Yarde-Buller, Karim al-Hussaini was studying at Harvard when he was appointed to the Nizarite Ismaili imamate in 1957, the year his grandfather Mahomed Shah died. His father was excluded from the succession after a tumultuous marriage to the American actress Rita Hayworth.
As the 49th imam of the Nizarite Ismaili community (a group of Shiite Muslims) and the 49th descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, he guided the 12 to 15 million followers around the world, particularly in Central and South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Portugal was the base for his community from 2015 and will therefore be the venue for his funeral.
Islam is not a faith ‘of conflict or social disorder, it is a religion of peace’, he told AFP in an interview in 2017. His aim was to engage in dialogue for a more open Islam and to build bridges between different faiths and cultures so that everyone could live in peace and mutual respect.
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A beloved spiritual leader, Prince Karim has used the family inheritance for good works. An inheritance estimated at 13 billion euros according to the highest estimates, making the Aga Khan dynasty one of the 10 richest royal families in the world according to Forbes magazine. A private island in the Bahamas, prestigious estates and jets are all part of its heritage.
Investments to help and develop society
The heir has invested a large part of his fortune to help others. He created and runs The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which boasts 96,000 employees worldwide and devotes around a billion dollars a year to non-profit development activities. Between the fight against poverty, education, health, town planning and training, the Aga Khan IV has demonstrated immense philanthropy, which has benefited people of all faiths. It was also through infrastructure that Karim al-Hussaini participated in the life of society, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who, before him, created hospitals, housing and banking cooperatives.
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AKDN is active in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt and Tajikistan. In 2005, this entity created a 30-hectare park in the historic centre of Cairo on a landfill site where no property developer wanted to invest, and co-financed the Bujagali dam in Uganda, which was inaugurated in 2012.
In Italy, the Aga Khan is known for his contribution to the development of the Costa Smeralda, a coastline in the north of Sardinia. He invested in tourism infrastructure, transforming the region into a popular tourist destination. In the 1960s, he founded Porto Cervo, created a major tourist port, inaugurated the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club, and launched the Alisarda airline, which later became Meridiana and then Air Italy.
In France, the Foundation has contributed to the preservation and development of the Chantilly estate with an investment of €70 million between 2005 and 2020. The renovation of the living horse museum, the rebirth of the racecourse, the revival of the Grandes Ecuries under Yves Bienaimé and the construction of the 5-star Hotel du Jeu de Paume are just some of the projects completed thanks to the AKDN.
Culture and horses
Numerous departments were subsequently created. In 1984, a branch dedicated to economic development was launched: the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). With its solid governance, this division generates annual revenues of no less than 4.5 billion dollars. Another AKDN agency, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), is dedicated to culture and the arts. In 2010, it helped restore the earthen walls of Timbuktu’s 14th-century Djingareyber mosque. Four years later, a museum of Islamic art, the Aga Khan Museum, opened in Toronto, Canada. In 1977, the Aga Khan also created the Aga Khan Award for Architecture to reward innovative architectural projects in Muslim societies.
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The Aga Khan IV was also renowned for his horses, a family passion that dates back to the nineteenth century when the Aga Khan III founded a stable in Ireland. Since 1926, the Aga Khan Trophy horse show has been held every August in Dublin. The Aga Khan stable of racehorses still competes in flat horse racing today. In 2021, its eight studs contained 190 broodmares. Among its champions is Siyouni, the best racehorse in Europe, whose 2024 stud fee was €200,000.
Rahim Al-Hussaini succeeds Karim Al-Hussaini
Holder of the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honour and Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France (just two of the dozens of distinctions he has received), the Aga Khan has had four children. Zahra, Rahim and Hussain were born of his first marriage to British model Sally Crocker-Poole, while Aly was born in 2000 of a second union with German lawyer Gabriele zu Leiningen, from whom he divorced in 2004.
In accordance with tradition, the eldest son, Rahim Al-Hussaini, became the 50th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, as his father, who died on 4 February at the age of 88, had wished.
Rahim Al-Hussaini takes the name Aga Khan V. Discreet and with a good business sense. A student at Phillips Academy and the IESE Business School of the University of Navarre, as well as a graduate in comparative literature from Brown University, Prince Rahim joined the AKDN on completion of his studies. We can therefore imagine that the son will continue his father’s work during his reign.
Featured photo : Karim al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV © Réseau Aga Khan de développement
