The Aga Khan, certainly one of the richest men on the earth who became the spiritual leader of the world’s thousands and thousands of Ismaili Muslims on the age of 20, has died aged 88.
Karim Al-Hussaini, the forty ninth hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, died on Tuesday in Portugal surrounded by his family.
Treated as a head of state, the Aga Khan was given the title of ‘His Highness’ by the late Queen in July 1957, two weeks after his grandfather the Aga Khan III unexpectedly made him heir to the family’s 1,300-year dynasty as leader of the Ismaili Muslim sect.
Karim Al-Hussaini had a net value of over £1,000,000,000 on the time of his death, which he spent on development projects across the globe.
It’s unclear who will lead the sect of Ismaili Muslims, a branch of Shia Islam.
The Aga Khan was a long-term friend of Queen Elizabeth II and the pair, each ardent fans of horse racing, watched the game together at Royal Ascot.
The late Queen hosted a ceremonial dinner within the Aga Khan’s honour at Buckingham Palace in 2008, and the Prince and Princess of Wales met the Aga Khan at an event in London in 2019.
The couple visited the Aga Khan Centre in central London, where they met outstanding British-Pakistani business leaders, musicians, chefs and artists.
Tributes also poured in from foreign leaders including the leaders of Pakistan, Canada and Kenya.
The Aga Khan Foundation said an announcement on his successor will come later.
The subsequent leader of the Ismailis will likely be chosen from the Aga Khan’s relatives, or be a male progeny.
There are roughly 15,000,000 Ismaili Muslims around the globe, who’ve followed the Aga Khan for over 1,000 years.
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