Mahafarid Amir Khosravi

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi
Born	circa 1969
Died	Evin Prison, Iran
Other names	Amir Mansour Aria
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Known for	2011 Iranian embezzlement scandal

Mahafarid Amir Khosravi () (circa 1969 – 24 May 2014), also identified as Amir Mansour Aria (), was an Iranian entrepreneur who faced execution due to his involvement in the 2011 Iranian embezzlement scandal. Once regarded as the wealthiest individual in Iran, a 2012 evaluation indicated that he would have been ranked 290th on the Forbes list of the world's richest people if included.

Biography

Khosravi pursued civil engineering studies at Islamic Azad University of Zanjan but was expelled after completing six semesters with a GPA of 6.23. He fulfilled his military duty in 1993.

Beginning with a family-operated cattle farm, Khosravi launched Aria Investment Development Company around 2005–2006, which facilitated the growth of his banking affiliations. By 2010, he had founded his own banking institution. Backed by certain government officials, he acquired substantial shares and real estate at prices below market value.

By 2011, Khosravi's portfolio included more than 35 enterprises spanning industries such as mineral water production, meat importation, and sports, with an estimated net worth surpassing US$1 billion. Investigations that year uncovered his orchestration of a US$2.6 billion fraudulent loan scheme at Bank Saderat, which involved bribing bank executives to authorize counterfeit documents. These illicit loans enabled the acquisition of state-owned companies, effectively transferring public assets into private hands using government funds. The valuation of his firm escalated from 50 million tomans in 2006 to 20 billion tomans by 2009, primarily due to these dealings.

Accused under the charge of "corruption on earth", punishable by death, Khosravi confessed to bribing Mahmoud Reza Khavari, former head of Bank Melli, with amounts exceeding US$3 million. A total of thirty-nine individuals were convicted in what stands as Iran's most significant fraud case since the 1979 revolution. While allegations implicated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in connection with Khosravi, no evidence substantiated these claims.

Following the Supreme Court's dismissal of his appeal to overturn the sentence, Khosravi was executed by hanging at Evin Prison on 24 May 2014. His spouse, Sara Khosravi, discovered news of his execution through media outlets and only verified it after their lawyer examined his remains; she remarked that he maintained hope for a pardon up until their final meeting prior to the execution.