1. Karim Meissa Wade was born on 1 September 1968 and is a Senegalese politician who served in the government of Senegal as Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development, Air Transport, and Infrastructure from May 2009 to April 2012.
Karim Wade is the son of Abdoulaye Wade, who was President of Senegal from 2000 to 2012.
Karim Wade was widely seen as a possible successor to his father as president, and his father was widely believed to be grooming him for the position.
Wade, the son of Abdoulaye Wade and his French wife Viviane Wade, was born in Paris on 1 September 1968.
Karim Wade attended primary school at the French-Senegalese School of Dakar and completed his secondary education at the School of Saint Martin of France, where he obtained his Baccalaureate degree.
Karim Wade then attended the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Management Science followed by a master's degree in Financial Engineering.
In 2002, Karim Wade was named Personal Advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of implementing major restructuring projects, among which were the New International Airport of Diass, the restructuring of Chemical Industries of Senegal, and the creation of the special integrated economic zone of Dakar.
In June 2004, Karim Wade was named President of ANOCI, whose mission was to prepare and organize the 11th Islamic Summit.
Critics complained that Karim Wade exceeded his budget as President of ANOCI.
On 26 August 2008, Karim Wade met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss a project for the installation of a nuclear power station in Senegal.
Karim Wade ran for office for the first time in the March 2009 local election in Dakar.
Later the same day, Karim Wade was appointed Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development, Air Transport, and Infrastructure.
The office building in which Karim Wade worked caught on fire on 1 October 2009 due to an electrical problem, and Wade was rescued from the building by French and Senegalese firefighters.
In December 2009, when defending Senegal's construction of a massive "African Renaissance" statue from imam claims that it was "idolatrous", President Karim Wade compared the statue to Christian statues of Jesus Christ.
Karim Wade himself was observed to be highly deferential towards his father.
President Karim Wade expanded his "super-minister" son's already vast responsibilities even further by assigning him the energy portfolio, in addition to his others on 4 October 2010.
Karim Wade consequently lost his appointed government post in April 2012, when Sall was sworn in.
Karim Wade was sentenced to six years imprisonment on 23 March 2015, two days after the Senegalese Democratic Party designated him as its candidate for the next presidential election.
Karim Wade appealed to the Supreme Court, but the court ruled against him on 20 August 2015.
Opponents of Sall argued that Karim Wade's imprisonment was politically motivated.
Karim Wade spent three years in jail before being pardoned by Sall and released from prison on 24 June 2016.
Karim Wade was still required to pay his enormous fine.
Karim Wade was sentenced in 2015 to a 6-year prison term by the Cour de repression de l'enrichissement illicite, a specialized anti-corruption court.
Karim Wade was accused of illegally amassing assets of more than $240 million, and his childhood friend Pouye was sentenced to five years for allegedly helping him.
Karim Wade was married to a French citizen, Karine Karim Wade, and had three daughters with her.
Karim Wade died of cancer in Paris on 10 April 2009.