How many children did Aga Khan have? All about the billionaire and his family as he dies at 88

Prince Karim Al-Husseini, known as Aga Khan IV, passed away on February 4, 2025, at 88, after serving as the 49th imam of Nizari Ismaili Muslims for more than 67 years.

Aga Khan IV is survived by his four children – Zahra, Rahim, Hussain, and Aly Muhammad. Zahra, Rahim, and Hussain are Prince Karim Al-Husseini’s children from his first marriage with Salimah Aga Khan. Aly Muhammad is the late imam’s only child after marrying Gabriele Renate Homey (later known as Inaara).

After Prince Al-Husseini’s demise in Lisbon, Portugal, Prince Rahim succeeded his father as Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary imam of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community. Read on to learn more about the life of the royal imam and billionaire and his family.

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More about Aga Khan IV, aka Prince Karim Al-Husseini, and his family

Born on December 13, 1936, Prince Karim was the eldest son of Pakistani socialite and racehorse owner Prince Aly Salomone Khan. For the uninitiated, Aly Khan was the only surviving son of the 48th imam of Nizari Ismaili Muslims, who passed away in 1957 and was succeeded by Prince Karim.

After becoming the spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismailis, Prince Karim received the title of “His Highness” from Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. In the following years, the 49th imam was involved in philanthropy through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a network of agencies focused on healthcare, education, rural development, and more.

Aside from philanthropy and AKDN, Prince Karim inherited a fortune and private business from his family. One of his famous private family businesses included the horse racing and breeding operation in France. According to Times Now, Prince Karim had a net worth of $13.3 billion and owned racecourses, luxury properties, and more.

On the personal front, Prince Karim married twice and fathered four children, as mentioned earlier. His first marriage with Salimah (formerly Sarah Frances Croker Poole) lasted almost 26 years, between 1969 and 1995. At the same time, Prince Karim Al-Husseini married Inaara (previously named Gabriele Renate Homey) in 1998 before getting divorced in 2011.

His eldest child, Princess Zahra, is a Member of the Board of Directors for AKDN. According to AKU’s website, Zahra has “policy and management responsibility” at AKN for the fields like “health, education, and planning and building services companies.” Her work extends to more than a dozen developing countries. She is also a trustee of the Aga Khan University.

The other children of Aga Khan IV are also involved in working with AKDN’s agencies in one way or the other. Prince Rahim, who currently serves as the AKDN Environment and Climate Committee chairman, is likely to succeed his father as AKDN’s chairperson. At the same time, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad have been involved in philanthropy through their association with the Aga Khan Foundation and other AKDN agencies.

Prince Karim was a non-political figure, yet he had influential friends across the globe, including the British Royal family. The Ismaili spiritual leader had received numerous state awards and honorary degrees from many countries and institutions, respectively. According to a Royal Source, as reported by multiple outlets, King Charles was “deeply saddened” by his demise and privately contacted Prince Karim’s family.

As mentioned, Prince Karim’s son Rahim has been announced as the 50th imam of the Nizari Ismailis. For those unaware, Prince Rahim is the father of Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan. He was married to Princess Salwa (formerly Kendra Irene Spears) from 2013 to 2022. Per his father’s will, Prince Rahim was announced as the next imam on February 5, 2025.

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