Prince Karim Aga Khan passes away at 88 in Lisbon
Over nearly seventy years of leadership, he was known for his extensive philanthropic work and business acumen, significantly impacting education, healthcare, and community development
Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, leader of the Ismaili community worldwide, passed away at the age of 88 in Lisbon, Portugal.
The sad demise of the spiritual leader and philanthropist was announced in an official statement released by the Ismaili community.
“With profound sadness, the Jamat is informed that our beloved 49th hereditary Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini, passed peacefully to Almighty Allah’s grace on 4 February 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family,” the official statement said.
“His funeral prayers will be offered in Lisbon, according to the statement. The time of the funeral will be announced later, the statement added.
Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is survived by three sons and a daughter.
The community leader had named his successor in his will, the statement added.
His will will be read in the presence of his family members and senior members of the community.
Born on December 19, 1936, in Geneva, Switzerland, Prince Karim became the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims at just 20 years old, following the death of his grandfather, Aga Khan III on July 11, 1957.
Aga Khan spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya. He later returned to Switzerland, attending the exclusive Le Rosey School before going to the United States to study Islamic history at Harvard.
His grandfather selected Karim as his successor instead of his flamboyant son—Karim’s father, Prince Aly Khan—who was once married to Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth.
As Aga Khan—a title derived from Turkish and Persian, meaning “commanding chief”—he became the fourth to hold the position. It was originally bestowed in the 1830s by the Persian emperor upon Karim’s great-great-grandfather following his marriage to the emperor’s daughter.
This role entails offering spiritual guidance to the Ismaili community, whose members are spread across Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.
He held British, French, Swiss and Portuguese citizenship and poured millions into helping people in the poorest parts of the world.
“If you travel the developing world, you see poverty is the driver of tragic despair, and there is the possibility that any means out will be taken,” he told the New York Times in a rare interview in 2007.
Over nearly seventy years of leadership, he was known for his extensive philanthropic work and business acumen, significantly impacting education, healthcare, and community development through initiatives funded by the Aga Khan Development Network.
Aga Khan’s name also became synonymous with success as a racehorse owner, with the thoroughbred Shergar among his most famous.
