Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

NEW YORK — He is a moderate Muslim religious leader and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He is also a twice-married jet-setter, and he owns hundreds of racehorses, valuable stud farms, an exclusive yacht club on Sardinia and a lavish estate near Paris.

He has poured money into poorer, neglected parts of the world, often into businesses as basic as making fishnets, plastic bags and matches, while also teaming up with private equity powerhouses like the Blackstone Group on a $750 million hydroelectric system in Uganda.