Mahafarid Amir Khosravi facts for kids

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi (Persian: مه‌آفرید امیرخسروی) (born around 1969 – died May 24, 2014), also known as Amir Mansour Aria (Persian: امیرمنصور آریا), was a very successful Iranian businessman. At one point, he was thought to be one of the richest people in Iran. Some even believed he could have been ranked among the world's wealthiest individuals.

Early Life and Business Beginnings

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi finished high school and then studied civil engineering at Islamic Azad University of Zanjan. He also completed his military service in Iran in 1993.

After his military service, he and his brother started a cattle ranch. Around 2005-2006, Khosravi began getting special loans to help grow their business. During this time, he also started a private company with his family called Aria Investment Development Company.

Growing His Business Empire

Khosravi became very good at working with banks. In 2010, he even asked to start his own bank, which opened that same year. Some people in the government helped Khosravi. He used this help to buy many company shares and large areas of land for much less than they were worth. This helped his business grow very quickly.

By 2011, Khosravi's company had grown huge! It included more than 35 different businesses. These businesses did many things, like selling bottled water, importing meat, and even owning a football (soccer) club. His total wealth was more than US$1 billion.

A Major Financial Issue

In 2011, a big investigation started at Bank Saderat, one of Iran's main banks. It was found that Khosravi was involved in a plan that created US$2.6 billion in loans using fake documents. This had been happening since 2007.

The plan involved giving money to bank managers so they would accept the fake papers. These loans were then used to buy businesses that were owned by the government. This meant that government money was used to buy government businesses, and the loans were never meant to be paid back. Investigators found that Khosravi's company grew from a small value in 2006 to a very large value by 2009, mostly because of these loan deals.

The Outcome of the Investigation

Khosravi was accused of being "corrupt on earth," which is a very serious charge in Iran. During his trial, he admitted to giving more than US$3 million to Mahmoud Reza Khavari, who used to be in charge of Bank Melli, and other people. In total, 39 people were found guilty in this case, which was the biggest financial problem since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Some people even thought that the President at the time, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, might have been involved with Khosravi. President Ahmadinejad was asked about his connection to the issue, but no link was ever proven.

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi died on May 24, 2014, at Evin Prison in Tehran. His wife, Sara Khosravi, said she found out about his death from the news. She didn't believe it until their lawyer confirmed it after seeing his body. She mentioned that when they last met the day before, Mahafarid was doing well and still hoped his situation would change.