The eldest of four brothers and two sisters, he was born near Casale in the castle of Pontestura, to John Jacob of Montferrat and Joanna of Savoy, daughter of Amadeus VII (the Red Count of Savoy).
[1] During his father's unlucky war against Amadeus VIII of Savoy, he was imprisoned by the latter and used as hostage.
During his reign the Palaeologus family lost the throne of Constantinople, captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
She brought a dowry of 100,000 scudi, receiving Trino, Morano, Borgo San Martino and Mombaruzzo in return.
However they only had one daughter: He also had two illegitimate children : John IV died, without legitimate heirs, in Casale on 19 January 1464; he was buried there alongside his father in the church of San Francesco.