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

The Aga Khan, 1 of the richest men successful the satellite who became the spiritual person of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims astatine the property of 20, has died aged 88.

Karim Al-Hussaini, the 49th hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, died connected Tuesday successful Portugal surrounded by his family.

Treated arsenic a caput of state, the Aga Khan was fixed the rubric of ‘His Highness’ by the precocious Queen successful July 1957, 2 weeks aft his gramps the Aga Khan III unexpectedly made him heir to the family’s 1,300-year dynasty arsenic person of the Ismaili Muslim sect.

Karim Al-Hussaini had a nett worthy of implicit £1,000,000,000 astatine the clip of his death, which helium spent connected improvement projects astir the globe.

It’s unclear who volition pb the sect of Ismaili Muslims, a subdivision of Shia Islam which is seen arsenic much liberal.

The Aga Khan was a semipermanent person of Queen Elizabeth II and the pair, some ardent fans of equine racing, watched the athletics unneurotic astatine Royal Ascot.

The precocious Queen hosted a meal enactment successful the Aga Khan’s honour astatine Buckingham Palace successful 2008, and the Prince and Princess of Wales met the Aga Khan at an lawsuit successful London successful 2019.

The mates visited the Aga Khan Centre successful cardinal London, wherever they met salient British-Pakistani concern leaders, musicians, chefs and artists.

Tributes besides poured successful from overseas leaders including the leaders of Pakistan, Canada and Kenya.

The Aga Khan Foundation said an announcement connected his successor volition travel later.

The adjacent person of the Ismailis volition beryllium chosen from the Aga Khan’s relatives, oregon beryllium a antheral progeny.

There are astir 15,000,000 Ismaili Muslims astir the world, who person followed the Aga Khan for implicit 1,000 years.

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