The Fall: Financial Mismanagement and Accusations
The relationship between Reza Pahlavi and Ahmad Ali Masoud Ansari took a dramatic turn in the late 1980s. The global economic crisis of 1987 exposed vulnerabilities in the investments managed by Ansari, leading to significant losses. One of the most severe blows came from reckless investments in commodity futures contracts, which resulted in a loss of $5.5 million.
By 1989, Reza Pahlavi began to grow suspicious of the state of his finances. Conflicting reports about his assets prompted him to take action. During a trip to Switzerland, he discovered that much of the wealth he believed to be secure in Creditbank Switzerland was missing. This realization led to a rift between him and Ansari, who had been responsible for overseeing his financial portfolio. Ansari was promptly removed from his role, and by 1990, the two former allies found themselves locked in legal battles.
