Aga Khan has passed away: a leader of Shia Muslims, friend of King Charles, and one of the world's most influential and wealthy individuals.

In Lisbon, at the age of 88, Prince Aga Khan Karim al-Husseini, a Muslim spiritual leader, philanthropist, and one of the world's most influential figures, has passed away. He inherited his title from his grandfather in 1957 when he was just 20 years old, and his followers regarded him as the "bearer of life." This was reported by Daily Mail.

This British citizen often found himself in the public eye due to his racehorses. He was the religious head of the Ismaili sect of Islam, which has around 15 million followers.

Despite his occasionally tumultuous personal life, he remained respected for his philanthropic efforts around the globe.

In a social media announcement, the Aga Khan Foundation stated: "His Highness Prince Karim al-Husseini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88, surrounded by his family." The Aga Khan Foundation announced that details regarding his successor will be revealed later.

King Charles, upon learning of Aga Khan's death, was reportedly deeply saddened by the loss of a close friend he had known for many years.

Aga Khan, whose ancestors fled from Persia to India two centuries ago, was born in Switzerland and spent much of his life in France, despite holding British citizenship.

His followers assert that he was a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima, and his cousin and son-in-law, Hazrat Ali.

He studied at the Le Rosey Institute in Switzerland and graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Islamic history.

When he returned to university after an eight-month break, succeeding his grandfather as Aga Khan, he remarked that it was "a big joke on campus," and his classmates referred to him as "Jesus." In 1957, he was granted the title "His Highness" by Queen Elizabeth, with the official ceremony held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, at the same location where his grandfather had once received diamonds from his followers weighing the same as his own weight.

Vanity Fair described him as "a one-man state," with his charitable organizations, in addition to his vibrant personal life, renowned for their work in impoverished and war-torn regions of the world.

The scale of Aga Khan's financial empire is difficult to quantify. Some reports estimate his personal wealth in the billions.

Nizari Ismailis, a sect that originally emerged in India but has spread to large communities in East Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East, consider it their duty to give him as their leader a tithe of up to 10 percent of their income.

Aga Khan's first wife was British model Sally Croker-Pool, whom he married in 1969. They have two sons and a daughter. His eldest son, 63-year-old Prince Rahim, is expected to become his official successor.

The spiritual leader's first marriage ended after 25 years, and he married Princess Gabriela zu Leiningen in 1998 at his vast estate in Aiglemont, near Paris. The former pop singer from Germany converted to Islam for marriage and adopted the new name Inara.

The couple had a son, but after six years they announced their separation, with Inara hiring private investigators to prove that her husband had an affair.

Aga Khan's immense wealth allowed him to operate a £100 million yacht named "Alamshahr" after one of his racehorses. He also owned the infamous racehorse Shergar, who was kidnapped along with his groom in 1983 by armed men in Ireland, who demanded a £2 million ransom, but the communication was cut off, and the horse was never seen again.

The groom was eventually released. Aga Khan was also a skiing enthusiast and even represented Iran at the 1964 Winter Olympics.

Who are the Ismaili Muslims

Ismaili Muslims are a global multi-ethnic community, with members representing a wide range of cultures, languages, and nationalities residing in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.

This sect of Shia Islam interprets the Quran symbolically and believes in a religious hierarchy.

They number around 15 million worldwide, led by Aga Khan.

The Aga Khan Centre in London is home to the Aga Khan Foundation, the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations at the Aga Khan University, and the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

In 2023, the Aga Khan Foundation allocated a total of £58.13 million for charitable activities aimed at promoting and ensuring the development of education, healthcare, rural development, environmental protection, and supporting civil society organizations for the benefit of society.

According to the organization, it operates in over 30 countries and has an annual budget of around $1 billion for non-profit development activities.

The network of hospitals bearing his name is spread across areas where the poorest populations lacked medical assistance, including Bangladesh, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, where he spent tens of millions of dollars on local economic development.

He also founded the Nation Media Group, the largest independent media organization in East and Central Africa.

A defender of Islamic culture and values, he was seen as a "bridge builder" between Muslim societies and the West, despite—or perhaps because of—his reluctance to engage in politics.

As a statesman, Aga Khan facilitated diplomatic negotiations at both regional and global levels, including the landmark 1985 summit meeting between Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev in Geneva.

Aga Khan is survived by his children, Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussein, and Prince Ali Muhammad, his brother Prince Amin Muhammad, half-sister Princess Yasmin, and four grandchildren. The spiritual leader will be buried in Lisbon.

It is worth noting that in November 2924, a rare emerald belonging to Aga Khan was sold at auction. He gifted it to his beloved.