Hobbies and Interests
Pahlavi’s interests have extended beyond politics and royal obligations. He has been a passionate football enthusiast and was particularly fond of Esteghlal, formerly known as Taj (meaning “Crown”). During his youth in Iran, his support for the club was highly visible and even televised by the National Iranian Radio and Television. Esteghlal became closely associated with the Pahlavi regime, and the team often participated in rallies celebrating his birthday.
In the early 1980s, during his time in Cairo, Pahlavi was seen at the Gueziro Club watching tennis and was known to frequent discotheques near the Nile. These glimpses into his leisure activities paint a picture of a young man navigating a new life in exile while maintaining connections to his interests.
Religious Beliefs
Despite the secular nature of the Pahlavi dynasty’s governance, Reza Pahlavi has maintained a personal connection to his Shia Muslim faith. In interviews, he has described his faith as a private matter, though he acknowledged its importance to his life. Iranian writer Reza Bayegan notes Pahlavi’s deep attachment to Islam, a sentiment further reflected in his completion of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Financial and Legal Challenges
The fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979 left Reza Pahlavi in a precarious financial position. In a 1989 interview with The Washington Post, he admitted to being unemployed, relying on financial support from “friends and family” over the preceding seven years. Decades later, in 2017, he told the Associated Press that his income derived from family wealth and contributions from supporters of his cause.
Pahlavi’s financial challenges were further complicated by legal disputes. In 1990, a lawsuit filed by Ali Haydar Shahbazi, a former Imperial Guard member and his bodyguard, alleged that Pahlavi had failed to fulfill a promise to support him financially. Shahbazi claimed he had left significant assets behind in Iran based on assurances from Pahlavi but was later dismissed with minimal compensation. The case, however, was ultimately dismissed, with the court determining that Pahlavi could not be held personally accountable due to his limited involvement in managing his estate.
Another legal battle in 1990 involved Ahmad Ali Massoud Ansari, a former financial adviser to Pahlavi. Accusations of embezzlement totaling $24 million were leveled against Ansari, who in turn claimed that Pahlavi’s extravagant spending was to blame for the financial difficulties. The court eventually ruled in Pahlavi’s favor, ordering Ansari to repay $7.3 million and imposing additional fines.