Religious Leader of Ismaili Community, Aga Khan, Passes Away
Lisbon, Portugal, 5 February – (DeccanLive.com): The religious and spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, Aga Khan, passed away on Tuesday, February 4, at the age of 88. According to the Aga Khan Foundation, the global news agency confirmed his death. The 49th hereditary leader of the Ismaili community, Aga Khan IV, took his last breath in Portugal. His successor will be announced later. Aga Khan is survived by three sons and one daughter.
Aga Khan’s real name was Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini. He was born on December 13, 1936, in Geneva, Switzerland, and spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya. A graduate of Islamic history from Harvard University, Aga Khan became the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community at the young age of 20.
According to media reports, his wealth was estimated to range from $800 million to $13 billion. He donated generously to build homes, hospitals, and schools in developing countries.
On October 19, 1957, Aga Khan IV was officially crowned in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He held British, French, Swiss, and Portuguese citizenship. He was also passionate about horse breeding.
Aga Khan was married twice. His first marriage was in 1969 to former British model Sarah Croker Poole, with whom he had one daughter and two sons. The couple divorced in 1995. In 1998, he married German-born Gabrielle Renningen, with whom he had one son. They divorced in 2014.
