Aga Khan, billionaire and leader of Ismaili Muslims, dies. Who was he?

The Aga Khan, the imam of the Ismaili Muslims and leader of a famous development aid organisation, passed away on Tuesday in Lisbon at the age of 88, as confirmed by his foundation, as reported by AFP. 

“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,” the foundation said on social media.

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Aga Khan was the founder and president of the Aga Khan Development Network, which employs 96,000 people and funds development initiatives, particularly in Asia and Africa, reported AFP.

‘Symbol of peace,’ says UN Chief

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres described the Aga Khan as “a symbol of peace, tolerance and compassion in our troubled world” following the religious leader’s death.

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace laureate and education campaigner, said his legacy will “live on through the incredible work he led for education, health and development around the world”.

Who was Aga Khan?

Born in Geneva, the Aga Khan spent his childhood in Kenya and was appointed in Tanzania in 1957 to succeed his grandfather.

His father was bypassed in the line of succession following a turbulent marriage to American actress Rita Hayworth.

A billionaire with a fleet of yachts and jets, the Aga Khan was also a regular at racetracks, continuing the family tradition of breeding thoroughbreds.

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He also ploughed a large amount of his inherited wealth into philanthropic projects and was awarded honorary Canadian citizenship for his work on development and “tolerance around the world”.

The Aga Khan also held British and Portuguese citizenship. The Ismaili leadership is based in Lisbon, where there is a significant community. Despite his role as the spiritual head of the Ismaili Muslims, he was reluctant to discuss Middle East conflicts, religious fundamentalism or Sunni-Shiite tensions, AFP reported.

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Islam is not a faith “of conflict or social disorder, it’s a religion of peace,” he told AFP in 2017.

It is used in situations which are “essentially political, but which are presented, for various reasons, in a theological context. This is simply not correct,” he said.