Aga Khan IV
Karim Aga Khan IV, whose real name is Karim al - Husseini, ( born December 13, 1936 in Creux -de- Genthod, community Genthod, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland ) is the religious leader of 20 million Ismaili Nizariten in 25 countries. His main residence is a Château north of Paris, in Aiglemont in Gouvieux / Chantilly. His title His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV was made a territorial title by the Queen on 26 July 1957. Aga Khan is one of the richest men in the world, his fortune is estimated at ten billion euros, the Aga Khan Foundation is the largest private development organization in the world.
Curriculum vitae
Karim Aga Khan's father Aly Khan, who, until his accidental death, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, and Vice President of the UN General Assembly was, however, better known as jet-setting playboy, 1958-1960 of the Hollywood diva Rita Hayworth a marriage entered. His mother is a former model and daughter of John Yarde - Buller, Baron Churston (1873-1930), later Princess Tajudaulah. He was born in Switzerland and spent his early childhood in Nairobi. Schools he attended as a British citizen in South Africa, Nairobi and London. The high school he graduated from the exclusive boarding school Le Rosey on Lake Geneva. Subsequently, he studied until 1959, Economics, Oriental Languages and History at Harvard and Cambridge.
At the Olympic Winter Games in 1964 in Innsbruck Karim Aga Khan represented as a ski racer Iran and finished 59th in downhill, giant slalom the 53rd rank. In the slalom, he was started.
At age 20, on 11 July 1957 after the death of his grandfather, the Sultan Mohamed Shah ( Aga Khan III. ), He was appointed surprising to Aga Khan. His grandfather had in his will decreed that not the Son, but the grandson should succeed him, and so he became the head of a branch of the Ismailis, the Nizari, appointed a religious direction within Islam. In the eyes of his followers, he is a direct descendant of Fatima, the youngest daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, and his successor, and therefore as the forty-ninth imam of the Nizariten and their spiritual leader.
Karim Aga Khan is a major shareholder of several international groups, including the Fiat Group and Lufthansa. He also has banks, newspapers, gemstone mines, airlines, horse breeds and hotel chains - and his company deserve the Aga Khan in the year one billion euros. In addition, the Aga Khan receives an annual donation of his followers in hundreds of millions of euros.
October 2012 published the investigative online newspaper Media Part that Sarkozy had delivered since 2008 Aga Khan of all tax payments, especially the income tax in France. At the time, Éric Woerth, budget minister in Sarkozy's government, who had to resign in the wake of the party funding scandal at the L' Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt ( Bettencourt affair) later. Woerth was previously mayor of Chantilly, which is world famous for its chateau and horse breeding. Were as Castle and Hippodrome by the closure threatened because the lack of funds for its renovation, the Aga Khan donates millions to their reception.
Private life
1969 Aga Khan married the divorced Lady Crichton - Stuart, the British model Sarah Frances Croker - Poole, the dubbed later as Begum Salima. The marriage produced three children: Zahra (born September 18, 1970 ), Rahim (born October 12, 1971 ), Hussein (born April 10, 1974 ). Shortly before the silver wedding anniversary in 1994, the marriage ended in divorce, Begum Salima received a divorce settlement of 45 million euros.
Aga Khan married 1998, the German Princess Gabriele zu Leiningen, adopted Thyssen, who henceforth bore the name Gabriele Inaara Aga Khan and the title of Begum Inaara and converted to Islam. The marriage went forth a son: Aly Muhammad (born March 7, 2000 ). Aga Khan already separated in 2004, after six years of marriage, but it took seven years to get the details of the separation were regulated legally, the starting point was a court in Switzerland. This was followed by a court in England before the Aga Kahn, the process eventually brought before the French courts. 2011 a court ruled in Amiens that he was the sole guilt for its numerous, borne in the public affairs with other women on the failure of the marriage. Moreover, the Begum was awarded a divorce settlement in the amount of 60 million euro, they had to take in return names and titles Begum ( " princess "). The decision on the divorce settlement was lifted in January 2013 the Court of Cassation, had a crucial role in Sarkozy and Woerth played.
Development programs
Aga Khan supported mainly by his private aid network Aga Khan Development Network ( AKDN ), a variety of development programs, among others, in the areas of:
- Health, education and architecture
- Rural development and promotion of private enterprise
- Projects to ensure the food needs and water supply
The AKDN donated example $ 80 million for reconstruction in Afghanistan.
In 1977, Prince Karim Aga Khan, the London " Institute of Ismaili Studies", which has dedicated itself according to its own presentation of the teaching of Islamic cultures and societies in the past and present. In addition, the relationships with other cultures and religions will be studied and taught.
In 2006 it was awarded as well as for " his humanitarian engagement" with the Tolerance Prize of the Evangelical Academy in Tutzing Karim Aga Khan for his " for an understanding between Islam and the Western world merits ... ". Also an honorary doctorate from the prestigious American University of Beirut in 2005 it was awarded. In addition, he was awarded in 2005 the Quadriga.
Bell Iceland
Karim Aga Khan was one of his private residences in a 5-hectare nature reserve build in the Bahamas. For the construction rare coral reefs have been destroyed.
Interview
- Gero von Boehm: Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. July 31, 2007 interview. Encounters. People pictures from three decades. Collection Rolf Heyne, München 2012, ISBN 978-3-89910-443-1, S.556 -568