Prince Karim Aga Khan IV - the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community and a globally respected philanthropist - passed away in Lisbon at the age of 88, the Aga Khan Development Network announced on Tuesday.

“With profound sadness, the Jamat is informed that our beloved 49th hereditary Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini, passed peacefully to Almighty Allah’s grace on February 4, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family,” the statement read.

In keeping with Ismaili tradition, the announcement of his successor will be made after the reading of his will in the presence of his family and senior community members.

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Born on December 13, 1936, in Geneva, Prince Karim Aga Khan assumed the role of Imam of the Ismaili community on July 11, 1957, at the age of 20, following the passing of his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan.

He led the global Ismaili community for nearly seven decades, advocating for social progress, education, and economic development across Asia, Africa, and beyond.

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A direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima, Prince Karim dedicated his life to the welfare of his followers and the wider Muslim Ummah.

Legacy of humanitarian work

Prince Karim Aga Khan was the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the world’s largest private development organizations, operating in over 30 countries. The network, employing around 80,000 people, has been instrumental in establishing schools, hospitals, and infrastructure projects to uplift impoverished communities.

“If you travel the developing world, you see that poverty is a tragic source of despair and that there is a possibility that any path will be taken,” he told The New York Times in a rare interview in 2007.

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His commitment to development work extended beyond philanthropy, as he combined humanitarian efforts with private enterprise, owning businesses in banking, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors, particularly in Africa and Asia.

A global figure

Beyond his work in development, Prince Karim Aga Khan was a prominent racehorse owner, continuing a family legacy in thoroughbred breeding. His horses, including the famed Shergar, won some of the most prestigious races in Europe.

A citizen of multiple countries, including Britain, France, Switzerland, and Portugal, he moved effortlessly between the East and the West, balancing his spiritual leadership with his role as a statesman and philanthropist.

“Few persons bridge so many divides — between the spiritual and the material; East and West; Muslim and Christian — as gracefully as he does,” Vanity Fair noted in a 2013 profile.

His funeral prayers will be held in Lisbon, though the exact timing will be announced later. He is survived by three sons and a daughter.

The Ismaili community, numbering around 15 million worldwide, will now await the formal announcement of his successor, as per the guidelines set in his will.