 He is the uncle of Queen Farah (née Diba) Pahlavi.After the coup d'état by Reza Khan (1921), he left government employ, sold his land holdings and entered into private business, which was frowned upon by his peers at that time, setting up the firm of Diba & Bayat, which later became Abolhassan Diba and Company.He was innovative and forward-thinking, always seeking to bring modernity to Iran.