Aga Khan puts the fate of France’s Château de Chantilly in doubt 2020-01-17

One of France’s most renowned châteaux is facing an uncertain future after the Aga Khan announced the dissolution of the organisation he created to save it from ruin.

The spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Shia Muslims said he would wind up the foundation which has restored the Château de Chantilly, about 30 miles northeast of Paris, five years earlier than scheduled.

The 83-year-old billionaire, who lives on a nearby estate, has given no public explanation but is understood to consider that he has spent enough money, time and energy rescuing the château. With the hard-pressed French state unable to pay for its upkeep, administrators have embarked on an urgent search for alternative sources of finance.