The philanthropist of the billionaire and spiritual leader of Aga Khan died at the age of 88, his charity organization AGA Khan Development Network published.
Prince Karim Aga Khan was 49. The hereditary imam of Ismaili Muslims, who followed his lineage directly to the prophet Muhammad.
“He died peacefully” in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family, his charity organization said in a statement about social media.
Born in Switzerland, he had British citizenship and lived in a foundation in France.
King Charles III was aware of the death of a philanthropist, who was a friend of himself and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
It is understood that the king is deeply sad because of the loss of a personal friend for many years and is privately in contact with the family.
The charity organizations of Aga Khan was run by hundreds of hospitals, educational and cultural projects, mainly in the development world.
He enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, with a private island in Bahamas, Super-Jahti and a private jet.
Aga Khan’s development network announced that she expressed her “condolences to the family of his Highness and the community of Ismail around the world.”
“We continue to cooperate with our partners to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities around the world, as he wanted, regardless of their religious affiliation or origin,” he added.
Ismailis, a Muslim sect, has a world population of about 15 million, including 500,000 in Pakistan. In India, Afghanistan and Africa there are a large population.
Prince Karim Aga Khan inherited his grandfather as an Imam from Ismaili Muslims in 1957 at the age of 20.
The Prince had an estimated $ 1 billion wealth in 2008 (801 million pounds), According to Forbes magazine. His inherited wealth has enhanced numerous business interests, including the growing of a horse.
He has become the leading owner and grower of racing horses in the UK, France and Ireland, growing Shergar, once the most famous and most valuable racing horse in the world.
He was the founder of the AGA Khan charity prince and gave his body name, including the University of Karachi, and the AGA Khan program for Islamic architecture at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Trust Aga Khan for culture was crucial to the renovation of the Humayun place in Delhi. There is an annual AGA Khan Award for Architecture.
And he founded Nation Media Group, which became the largest independent media organization in Eastern and Central Africa.
Shergar won the derby in Epsom in 1981 for 10 lengths in emerald green racing silk of Aga Khan with red Epaulets, but in Ireland he was numbered two years later and never found.
Despite losing his beloved horse, he said to the BBC in 2011 – on the 30th anniversary of Shergar’s biggest triumph – that he did not think about leaving his Irish breeding operation.
From Shergar’s triumph, he said, “It’s a memory he never can, never leave.
“I’ve seen that movie I don’t know, dozens or hundreds of times. I continue to analyze where this extraordinary performance comes from. Every time I see a movie, I feel I learned something.
“If you are in the races, Epsa Derby is one of the greats. It was always that, so it is in itself to win the race of that qualities of extraordinary privilege. She won the way he won was more than that.
“I watched enough races that I could determine what Joke was feeling, how the horse was at the time and when he came around Tattenham Corner, I couldn’t believe my eyes, honestly.
“His victory by this point was unique. Two things I found stunning – one was the ease with which that horse moved, and the other the fact that during the final treatment he was just leaving, leaving, leaving. It was really extraordinary.”
Aga Khan continued to win in a big race four more times with Shahrastani (1986), Kahyas (1986), Sinndar (2000) and Harzand (2016).
Other notable successes included 2008 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe with great undefeated Filly Zarkava.
