The Aga Khan, billionaire and spiritual leader worth £10,000,000,000, dies

The Aga Khan, one of the richest men in the world who became the spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims at the age of 20, has died aged 88.

Karim Al-Hussaini, the 49th 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 worth of over £1,000,000,000 at the time of his death, which he spent on development projects around 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, both ardent fans of horse racing, watched the sport together at Royal Ascot.

The late Queen hosted a dinner party in 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 prominent 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 next leader of the Ismailis will be chosen from the Aga Khan’s relatives, or be a male progeny.

There are roughly 15,000,000 Ismaili Muslims around the world, who have followed the Aga Khan for over 1,000 years.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.