Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who recently passed away at age 88, was the hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, serving over 12 million followers worldwide. His lifestyle, characterized by luxury, was not seen as contradictory to his spiritual leadership. The Aga Khan emphasized that wealth must be used responsibly and incorporated both spiritual and material well-being in the Ismaili faith. His considerable fortune supported extensive philanthropic efforts, with schools, hospitals, and community development programs benefiting Ismailis globally.
As the Aga Khan said: It is not an Islamic belief that spiritual life should be totally excluded from our more material everyday activities.
His personal wealth may have topped 13bn and he was probably richer than the British royal family.
We have no notion of the accumulation of wealth being evil, it's how you use it if God has given you the capacity.
...any cup from which he drank had a certain value. It was like a relic. There was this aura around him.
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