Rs 2,75,00,00,00,000 In Wealth? The Global Asset Network Linked To Iran’s New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Mojtaba Khamenei is now the Supreme Leader of Iran. His rise comes after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during a joint US-Israel strike in Tehran. Amid the rising tensions in Middle East, Mojtaba Khamenei’s finances and alleged assets have also come into focus. Over the years, several investigations and reports have examined the financial networks connected to him. These reports suggest that beyond politics, there is also a large web of properties and investments associated with his name.

According to a year-long investigation by Bloomberg News published on Monday, Mojtaba Khamenei is alleged to have built a property and financial network across UK, parts of Europe and the Gulf region. The report states that the system involves multiple layers of ownership and financial transfers. His exact net worth is not known due many assets linked to him which are reportedly hidden through proxies, shell companies and political connections. Estimates about his wealth therefore vary widely depending on the source. Some reports place his personal wealth at more than $3 billion (over Rs 27,500 crore).

Bloomberg’s investigation relied on real estate records, confidential business documents and information from sources connected to a leading Western intelligence agency. Together, these records point to a financial network that stretches across several countries. Properties and financial links mentioned in the report extend from some of London’s most expensive neighbourhoods to bank accounts in Switzerland. The investigation also traces connections to luxury assets in Dubai. In addition, there are references to hotel properties in parts of Germany and Spain.

One of the most notable details involves properties on Bishop’s Avenue in north London. The street is often referred to informally as “Billionaire’s Row” because of its extremely high property values. According to the Bloomberg report, several mansions on this stretch are believed to be linked to Mojtaba Khamenei’s wider financial network. One of the properties was purchased in 2014 for £33.7 million. Security personnel in dark SUVs are often seen stationed outside the property. The houses themselves remain largely empty behind high gates fitted with surveillance cameras and blacked-out barriers. Combined estimated value of these properties exceeds $130 million (nearly Rs 1,200 crore).

But these properties are not registered directly under Mojtaba Khamenei’s name. Instead, ownership records show that they are held through several shell companies and intermediary entities. As per the report, the assets are formally registered in the name of Ali Ansari, an Iranian oil tycoon who has been placed under sanctions. The UK sanctioned Ansari in October 2025. Through his lawyer, Ansari has strongly denied having any financial or personal relationship with Mojtaba Khamenei. He has also said that he plans to challenge the UK sanctions legally.

Beyond London, Bloomberg’s investigation points to several other properties across different countries. These reportedly include a luxury villa in an area often described as the “Beverly Hills of Dubai.” The network is also said to involve upscale hotels in Frankfurt and along Spain’s Mallorca coastline. In Canada, a penthouse in Toronto’s Four Seasons Private Residences was reportedly sold in 2020 for C$10.5 million. Documents also show that a section of a building in Paris was sold in 2023. Bloomberg reported that funds for many of these transactions moved through accounts in UK, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and UAE. The documents reviewed in the investigation suggest the money originated from Iranian oil sales.

Experts who track Iran’s power structures have also examined the financial connections linked to Mojtaba Khamenei. Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, has studied the financial activities of the Khamenei family. Speaking to Bloomberg, he said, “Mojtaba has major stakes or de facto control in various entities throughout Iran and abroad. When you analyse his financial network, Ali Ansari is the main account holder for him. This positions Ansari as one of the most influential oligarchs in the country today."

Mojtaba Khamenei’s personal wealth should not be confused with the much larger financial system connected to the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader. During his time in power, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was widely reported to have influence over assets estimated at about $95 billion through several powerful institutions. One of the most important among them is the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order, widely known as Setad. The organisation was set up in the late 1980s after the Iranian Revolution to handle properties that had been abandoned or confiscated during that period. Over the years, Setad expanded far beyond that initial role and developed into a major economic organisation. Investigations into its finances suggest that the value of its holdings runs into tens of billions of dollars. Today it operates through hundreds of affiliated companies working in sectors such as banking, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, real estate, energy and petrochemicals.

Another major part of the system consists of religious foundations known as bonyads. These charitable organisations were established after the Iranian Revolution but function largely outside government oversight and taxation. One of the biggest among them is the Mostazafan Foundation. This foundation reportedly controls hundreds of companies and owns factories, mines, farms and hotels. Its activities extend across sectors including food production, construction and manufacturing. Its assets are estimated to be more than $10 billion. As Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei now has oversight powers and authority to appoint leadership within these foundations and institutions.

A significant portion of Iran’s economy is also connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. The organisation operates large business networks through construction firms, energy companies and infrastructure projects. One of its most powerful arms is the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters. The company has been involved in projects related to oil and gas development, highways, dams and telecommunications infrastructure with contracts often worth billions of dollars. While the IRGC is not formally owned by the Supreme Leader, its leadership answers directly to him. Alongside this, the Supreme Leader controls a large patronage system that distributes funds to religious seminaries, media organisations, charities and political loyalists. These funds come from multiple sources including foundations, religious donations and state-linked investments.