Sakip Sabanci
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Sakip Sabanci (Turkish spelling: Sakıp Sabancı), born on 7 April 1933 in the village of Akcakaya/Kayseri, was a prominent Turkish business tycoon and philanthropist.
Born as the second son of a cotton trader, he worked in all the ranks of his father's business without completing the high school. He was the head of Turkey's second largest business conglomerate and 147th richest man on the Forbes list of the world's top billionaires in 2004. Sakıp Sabancı described himself as such: "I get angry when someone calls me only rich; I am happy with my social personality and my generosity."
Sabanci was among the most colorful personalities in the Turkish business world. After taking over the family business, with his energy, initiative and courage alongside the assistance of his brothers, he carried the Sabancı Group among the world's top companies starting in the 1980s. Sabancı Holding owns 66 companies, which are involved in textiles, food, tourism, paper and packing, automotives, chemicals, tobacco, cement, insurance and banking. The Sabancı Group also has partnerships with some of the well-known multinational companies, such as Hilton Group, Bridgestone, Du Pont, Toyota, Philip Morris, Kraft Foods, Bekaert, Heidelberg Cement, IBM, BNP, Dresdner Bank, Carrefour and International Paper.
His greatest contribution was to education in Turkey, and he founded the Sabancı University in 1999. His collections of more than 320 Ottoman and Turkish paintings, statues and more than 400 examples of Ottoman calligraphy are exhibited at Atlı Köşk (The Equestrian Villa) at Bosporus in Emirgan, Istanbul, where he and his family lived for years and which was converted into the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in 2002. Already in 1974, Sabanci familiy also founded the charitable Vaksa foundation, which runs more than 100 health, education and cultural centers throughout Turkey.
Sabanci was a humorous, folksy figure, who loved the media limelight and rejoiced in being known as "Sakip Aga". He died on 10 April 2004 in Istanbul at the age of 71 of a kidney tumor and cancer that spread to his liver. Sabanci was honored with an unusual state funeral. He is survived by his wife, Türkan, his son, two daughters and a granddaughter.
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Honorary doctorates
Sabanci received honorary doctorates from following Turkish and American universities:
- 1984 Anadolu Üniversitesi, Eskişehir
- 1986 University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire, USA
- 1992 Yıldız Üniversitesi, Istanbul
- 1993 Erciyes Üniversitesi, Kayseri
- 1997 18 Mart Üniversitesi, Çanakkale
- Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi, Istanbul
- Girne American University, Girne, Cyprus
- Trakya Üniversitesi, Edirne
- Istanbul Universitesi, Istanbul
- 1998 Southeastern University, Washington D.C., USA
- 1999 Çukurova Üniversitesi, Adana
- 2002 Kırıkkale Üniversitesi, Kırıkkale
Awards
He was awarded by various national and international institutions as listed below:
- 1979 "Golden Mercury Award" given to successful businessmen.
- 1987 Belgian "Ordre de Léopold II, Commander Class" by Belgian Prince Albert (now King Albert II of Belgium).
- 1992 Japanese "Order of Sacred Treasure, Golden and Silver Star" from the Japanese Government.
- 1997 Turkish "Order for Supreme Merit" by the Turkish President Süleyman Demirel.
- 1997 "European Chrystal World Award" from the European Institute for Economy in Zurich, Switzerland.
- 1999 "Businessman of the Year Award" by the FABSIT (Friends of American Board Schools in Turkey) Foundation in New York, USA.
- 1999 Turkish "Grand Prize of Culture and Arts" from the Ministery of Culture of the Turkish Republic.
- 2001 Turkish "Industry Technology and Quality Award" by the GYTE (Gebze Institue for High Technology).
- 2001 French "Légion d'honneur" from President Jacques Chirac for his contributions to the Franco-Turkish relationships in culture and business.
Books
He wrote books mostly on his experience in business life. Some of them are translated into English and Japanese languge. The royalties from his books are being donated to Darülaceze (Almshouse) and Türkiye Spastik Çocuklar Vakfı (Turkey Foundation for Spastic Children).
- İşte Hayatım (This is my life), 1985
- Para Başarının Mükafatıdır (Money is the reward of success), 1985
- This is my life (English) 1988
- Gönül Galerimden (From the galleria of my hearth), 1988
- Rusya'dan Amerika'ya (From Russia to America), 1989
- Ücret Pazarlığı mı ? - Koyun Pazarlığı mı ? (Is it wage bargain or sheep bargain ?), 1990
- Değişen ve Gelişen Türkiye (Turkey, Changing and Developing), 1991
- Daha Fazla İş Daha Fazla Aş (More work, more food), 1993
- Doğu Anadolu Raporu (Eastern Anatolian report), 1995
- Başarı Şimdi Aslanın Ağzında (Success is now in the lion's mouth), 1998
- İşte Hayatım (Japanese), 2000
- Hayat Bazen Tatlıdır (Life is sometimes sweet), 2001
- Sakıpname (Dedicated to Sakıp), 2002
- ...bıraktığım yerden Hayatım; (My life from the place I left), 445 pp, ISBN 975293181-2.
- Her Şeyin Başı Sağlık; (Health first) 176 pp, ISBN 9752932177.
See also
External links
- Personal Website (http://www.sakipsabanci.gen.tr/)
- Sabancı Group of Companies (http://www.sabanci.com.tr/)
- Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People (http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/10/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=10&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=LL2G&datatype=Person)