Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, passed away in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88. In a post on X, Aga Khan Development Network stated, “As we honour the legacy of our founder, Prince Karim Aga Khan, we continue to work with our partners to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities across the world, as he wished, irrespective of their religious affiliations or origins.”
His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family. Prince Karim Aga Khan… pic.twitter.com/bxOyR0TyZr
---Advertisement---— Aga Khan Development Network (@akdn) February 4, 2025
Who Was Aga Khan?

Karim Al-Hussaini, 88, was the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network. Aga Khan has left behind a rich legacy. Forbes had described Aga Khan as one of the world’s fifteen richest royals. The most recent estimate of his net worth is $13.3 billion.
Born as Prince Karim al-Hussaini on 13 December 1936 in Geneva, Switzerland, Aga Khan inherited the title at the age of 20 in 1957 following the death of his grandfather, Aga Khan III. He claims direct lineal descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali.
Aga Khan IV Net Worth
Apart from his lineage, he was known for his vast wealth, philanthropic work, and interest for horse racing. He was also a downhill skier, and skied for Iran in the 1964 Winter Olympics.
His racing horse businesses contributed considerably to his income. The Aga Khan owned and operated the largest horse racing and breeding operation in France. He had multiple business ventures which included communications media and luxury hotels. The Aga Khan had a group of US$400 a night Italian luxury hotels in the 1990s.
Vanity Fair estimated his wealth to be well over US$1 billion in 2013. His wealth comprises of family inheritance, business ventures, investment and contributions from his followers. The Aga Khan owned hundreds of racehorses, stud farms, yacht club on Sardinia, Bell Island in the Bahamas, two Bombardier jets, a £100 million high speed yacht Alamshar and several estates around the world.
He founded the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in 1967. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is dedicated to improving the quality of life of those in need, mainly in Asia and Africa, as per its description on the official website. The Development Network works in over 30 countries. According to the AKDN official website, the economic development arm, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, generates annual revenues of USD 4 billion, but all surpluses generated by its project companies are reinvested in further development activities, usually in fragile, remote or post-conflict regions.
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