The Aga Khan, billionaire spiritual leader, dies at 88
Prince Karim Al-Hussaini's philanthropy funded hospitals, housing and schools in some of the world's poorest places


What happened
The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims and one of the world's wealthiest hereditary heirs, died Tuesday in Portugal. He was 88 and had led the Shiite branch — with large communities in South and Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and East Africa — for nearly seven decades
Who said what
Prince Karim Al-Hussaini became the Aga Khan IV and 49th hereditary iman in his family's 1,300-year-old dynasty when he was a 20-year-old student at Harvard. His grandfather, the Aga Khan III, unexpectedly bequeathed him the title upon his death in 1957, bypassing his playboy son Prince Aly Khan, Prince Karim's father. Queen Elizabeth II granted the Aga Khan IV the nonhereditary title "His Highness" two weeks later, reflecting the "close ties between the two dynasties, bonded in a shared fascination with fine horses," The New York Times said.
The Aga Khan "evolved into a business magnate and a philanthropist, moving between the spiritual and the worldly with ease," The Associated Press said. "Urbane, cosmopolitan and often media-averse," the Times said, he drew his fortune — estimated at between $1 billion and $13 billion — from an "eclectic" array of business ventures, a "lucrative equestrian empire" inherited from his father and "a kind of Quranic tithe levied on his followers." His philanthropy funded hospitals, housing, schools and development projects in some of the world's poorest places.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
The Aga Khan will be buried in Lisbon. His handpicked successor will be named publicly after his will is read for family and religious leaders.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
July 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an extrajudicial detainment camp, 'alligator Alcatraz', and tax cuts for billionaires.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
Southern Baptists lay out their political road map
The Explainer The Southern Baptist Convention held major votes on same-sex marriage, pornography and more
-
Southern Baptists endorse gay marriage ban
Speed Read The largest US Protestant denomination voted to ban same-sex marriage and pornography at their national meeting
-
Where the new Pope Leo XIV stands on social issues
The Explainer The first American pontiff is expected to continue some of his predecessor's work
-
Prevost elected first US pope, becomes Leo XIV
speed read Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is a Chicago native who spent decades living in Peru
-
Schools: When religious parents object
Feature Maryland parents seek to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed lessons that contradict their religious beliefs
-
Could the next pope be an American?
Today's Big Question Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is a possible 'superpower pope'
-
What would an African pope mean for the continent?
Today's Big Question The Catholic Church has never had a pope from Africa in its modern history
-
Millions mourn as Vatican prepares for transition
Feature Pope Francis, the pontiff who challenged tradition, leaves the Catholic Church at a crossroad to choose his successor