At the age of 20, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini inherited the reins of a Shia Muslim lineage and used his entrepreneurship to become one of the world’s richest hereditary rulers.

Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV and 49th Imam of Nizari Ismaili Muslims, died February 4. He was 88. The Aga Khan’s eldest son, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini, has been designated the Aga Khan V.

By Bruce Pannier Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of some 15 million Ismaili Muslims worldwide, died in Portugal on February 4 aged 88. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) announced the passing of the “49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad” on their website.

In his inaugural address, he “pledged to dedicate his life to care for the spiritual and material well-being of the Ismaili Jamat.”

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, was laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt, on Sunday during a private ceremony. His death, which was announced on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88, has left the global Ismaili Muslim community in mourning. He was laid to rest in Aswan in accordance with his last wish.

Prince Rahim succeeds his late father, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who passed away on February 4 at the age of 88

The Aga Khan IV was laid to rest on Sunday at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt. The death of Prince Karim – the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims – was announced Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community.