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Aga Khan IV

1936-12-13 – 2025-02-04

Portrait of Aga Khan IV
aga khan varo azzurraCredit: Gorup de Besanez

Life & Legacy

Prince Shah Karim al-Hussaini (13 December 1936 – 4 February 2025), known simply as Aga Khan IV, was the 49th Imam of Nizari Isma'ili Shia Islam from 1957 until his death in 2025. He inherited the Nizari imamate and the title of Aga Khan at the age of 20 upon the death of his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah (Aga Khan III). During his Imamate, he was also known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Isma'ili followers.
Al-Husseini's net worth was estimated at over US$13.3 billion by Vanity Fair in 2013. Forbes included al-Husseini in its list of the world's fifteen richest royals, though he held no political sovereignty or territorial authority. The designation referred to his hereditary role as Imam of the Nizari Ismailis, not to any formal royal or monarchical status. He was the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, a private development network.

Occupation & Career

businessperson, alpine skier, business magnate, philanthropist, imam, racehorse owner and breeder, merchant, religious leader

Education

Harvard University; Cours Hattemer; Institut Le Rosey

Faith & Community

Islam

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Commander of the Legion of Honour; Order of Merit for Labour; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; honorary Canadian citizenship; Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Companion of the Order of Canada; North–South Prize; Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion; Order of Friendship; Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit; Padma Vibhushan in trade & industry; Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎; Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali; Order of the Crown; National Order of Madagascar; Nishan-e-Pakistan; Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya; Sitara-i-Imtiaz; Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne; National Order of Upper Volta; Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Honorary doctor of the University of Ottawa; honorary doctor of Harvard University; Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Portugal; Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ; Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty; honorary doctorate from the American University of Beirut; honorary doctorate from the University of British Columbia; honorary doctor of Simon Fraser University; honorary doctor from the NOVA University Lisbon; honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge; honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta; Honorary doctorate from University of Toronto; honorary doctorate from Brown University; honorary doctorate from the McGill University; honorary doctorate from McMaster University; Order "Danaker"; Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour; National Order of Merit; National Order of the Ivory Coast; Grand Cross of the Order of Excellence; Order of Bahrain; National Order of Mali; Padma Vibhushan; Order of Liberty; Order of Civil Merit; Order of Friendship of Tajikistan

Legacy Highlights

Honors & Awards

Commander of the Legion of Honour · Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎ · Companion of the Order of Canada · Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences · Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects · Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne · Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour · Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ · Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali · Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit · Grand Cross of the Order of Excellence · Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty · Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Portugal · Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion · honorary Canadian citizenship · honorary doctor from the NOVA University Lisbon · honorary doctor of Harvard University · honorary doctor of Simon Fraser University · Honorary doctor of the University of Ottawa · honorary doctorate from Brown University · honorary doctorate from McMaster University · honorary doctorate from the American University of Beirut · honorary doctorate from the McGill University · honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta · honorary doctorate from the University of British Columbia · honorary doctorate from the University of Cambridge · Honorary doctorate from University of Toronto · Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire · Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic · National Order of Madagascar · National Order of Mali · National Order of Merit · National Order of the Ivory Coast · National Order of Upper Volta · Nishan-e-Pakistan · North–South Prize · Order "Danaker" · Order of Bahrain · Order of Civil Merit · Order of Friendship · Order of Friendship of Tajikistan · Order of Liberty · Order of Merit for Labour · Order of the Crown · Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya · Padma Vibhushan · Padma Vibhushan in trade & industry · Sitara-i-Imtiaz

Church

Islam

Organizations & Memberships

Académie des beaux-arts · American Academy of Arts and Sciences · Royal Institute of British Architects

Education & Institutions

Cours Hattemer · Harvard University · Institut Le Rosey

Verified Legacy Record

Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q311793 — wikidata View source

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