Rahim al-Hussaini has been named the new Aga Khan, becoming the spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims and taking over a philanthropic empire with assets valued at as much as $13bn.
Prince Rahim becomes Aga Khan V following the death of his father, Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, in Lisbon.
Aged 53, he will be the 50th imam (spiritual leader) of the community as set out in the will left by his father and “in accordance with historical Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim tradition and practice”, according to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Rahim was born in 1971 and is the eldest son of Aga Khan IV and his first wife, Princess Salimah, formerly Sarah Croker Poole, a British ex-model. The couple divorced in 1995, and the Aga Khan IV subsequently married Gabriele Thyssen, a German singer.
The new Aga Khan has three siblings: two brothers and one sister.
Ismaili Muslims are a sect within Shia Islam, and the community has a distinct interpretation of the Quran, the holy book of Muslims. They consider Aga Khan their head and spiritual leader.
Rahim studied in the US and has played a significant role in the AKDN, particularly in environmental and climate-related initiatives.
“Prince Rahim has been particularly concerned with the AKDN’s drive to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change,” the statement by AKDN said.
AKDN, established in 1967, operates in over 30 countries, focusing on education, healthcare, and rural economic development, with an annual budget of about $1bn.
Rahim resides in Switzerland and has two sons with former American fashion model Kendra Spears. Spears became a member of the Ismaili Muslim community upon her marriage in 2013, when she was 25 years old. Rahim was 41 years old at the time. She converted to Islam and was known as Princess Salwa Aga Khan. They divorced in 2022.
Rahim has largely maintained a private profile and there is little information about his life available in the public domain, but his transition to imamship and leadership of the philanthropic endeavours of the Aga Khan Foundation is bound to thrust him into the limelight.
“Throughout their 1,400-year history, the Ismailis have been led by a living, hereditary Imam,” AKDN said in a statement. “The Ismailis live in over 35 countries and number approximately 12 to 15 million,” the statement added.
Rahim will inherit a vast portfolio, with assets spanning airlines, real estate and media, The New York Times reported.
The Shia Ismaili community is spread across regions including Iran, South Asia and East Africa and members contribute a portion of their earnings – 12.5 per cent – to support AKDN’s initiatives across the globe.
