After the death of Ali Larijani, a brief account of his personal assets has come to light, which has surprised many for a leader at the center of Iranian power. The list includes
-A 2011 model car, -A monthly rental of about $60. -An Iranian pistol received as a gift from Ruhollah Khomeini. -And a ring given to him by Ali Khamenei.
Overall, the picture indicates a kind of restrained and simple personal life.
However, if Larijani is confined to this simple lifestyle alone, the whole person cannot be understood. He was one of the most influential political strategists in Iran, as well as a deep student of philosophy.
After graduating in computer science and mathematics from Sharif University, he completed his masters and PhD in Western philosophy from the University of Tehran. The philosophy and mathematical thought of Immanuel Kant were at the center of his doctoral research.
He was active not only in politics, but also in the academic world. He taught at the Faculty of Literature and Humanities of the University of Tehran, where he made a long-standing contribution to philosophy, intellectual debate, and research. He was also known as a writer and translator, especially for his work in bringing Kant’s ideas to readers in Persian.
That is why many see his life as a combination of two parallel forces—the hard reality of state power and the abstract intellectual world of philosophy.
This posthumous account of his wealth has made that contrast even more stark: simplicity in his personal life even at the height of power, and an influential intellectual presence in public life.