Sakıp Sabancı (7 April 1933 – 10 April 2004) was a Turkish business

tycoon A business magnate, also known as an industrialist or tycoon, is a person who is a powerful entrepreneur and investor who controls, through personal enterprise ownership or a dominant shareholding position, a firm or industry whose goods or ser ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Biography

He was the second son of a cotton trader and worked in his father's business without completing high school. He was the head of Turkey's largest business conglomerate and 147th richest man on the

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

list of billionaires in 2004. In the 1980s, he took over the family business with assistance from his brothers. The Sabancı Group of Companies operates in eighteen countries and markets its products internationally. Currently, Sabancı Holding controls more than 60 companies, in textiles, tourism, automotives, chemicals, tobacco, cement, insurance and banking. The group also has partnerships with the Hilton Group,

Bridgestone is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (18891976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of (), meaning ...

, Du Pont, Philip Morris, Bekaert, Heidelberg Cement,

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

BNP Paribas BNP Paribas (; sometimes referred to as BNPP or BNP) is a French multinational universal bank and financial services holding company headquartered in Paris. It was founded in 2000 from the merger of two of France's foremost financial instituti ...

Dresdner Bank Dresdner Bank AG () was a German bank, founded in 1872 in Dresden, then headquartered in Berlin from 1884 to 1945 and in Frankfurt from 1963 onwards after a postwar hiatus. Long Germany's second-largest bank behind Deutsche Bank, it was eventually ...

Carrefour Carrefour Group, S.A. (, ), is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, Essonne, Massy, France. It operates a chain of hypermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores. By 2024, the group had 14,000 ...

and

International Paper The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 39,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. History The company was incorporated January 31 ...

. Sabancı Holding and ten other companies within the group are listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. In 2011, the consolidated revenue of the company was $13.4 billion. The Sabancı family holds a 60.6% share of the firm. Sakip Sabanci 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'' ( English: The Equestrian Villa) at

Bosporus The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental bo ...

in Emirgan, Istanbul, where he and his family lived for years, and which was converted into the

Sakıp Sabancı Museum The Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum () is a private fine arts museum in Istanbul, Turkey, dedicated to Islamic calligraphy, calligraphic art, religious and state documents, as well as paintings of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman era. The ...

in 2002. He died of

kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, a lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include ...

at the age of 71 and received a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

. In 2016,

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

established the Sakıp Sabancı Chair and Center for Turkish Studies, the first initiative of its kind in the United States. This initiative, supported by a $10 million donation, aims to enhance knowledge and awareness of Turkey through research, teaching, and intellectual exchange. The establishment of the professorship and the center is part of a broader effort to foster academic collaboration and promote Turkish studies globally. Additionally, the gift will contribute to research and academic partnerships at Sabancı University in Istanbul.

Honorary doctorates

Sabancı received

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

s from following Turkish and American

universities A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

: *

Kırıkkale University Kırklareli University is a university located in Kırklareli, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. ...

Kırıkkale Kırıkkale is a city in the Central Anatolia Region, Turkey, Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Kırıkkale Province and Kırıkkale District.Çukurova University,

Adana Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...

(1999) * Southeastern University, Washington D.C. (1998) *

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

(1997) *

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (, or MSGSÜ) is a public art university in Istanbul, Turkey. The university's campus is located in the Fındıklı, Beyoğlu. The university was established in 1882 under the leadership of Osman Hamdi Bey. Hi ...

(1997) * Girne American University, Kyrenia,

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

(1997) * Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University,

Çanakkale Çanakkale is a city and seaport in Turkey on the southern shore of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. It is the seat of Çanakkale Province and Çanakkale District.Trakya University Trakya University () is a public university in Edirne, Turkey. It was established on July 20, 1982. The university is located in Edirne, in Eastern Thrace. Trakya University is a regional university with branches and campuses spread over the T ...

Edirne Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...

(1997) * Erciyes University,

Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...

(1993) * Yıldız Technical University,

(1992) * Anadolu University,

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from 'old' and 'city') is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 821 315 (Odunpazari + Tebebasi), with a metropolitan population of 921 630. The city is l ...

(1984) *

University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant coll ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

(1986)

Awards

He was awarded by various national and international institutions as listed below: * : National Order of the Legion of Honour by French President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...

(2001) * : State Medal of Distinguished Service by President

Süleyman Demirel Sami Süleyman Gündoğdu Demirel (; 1 November 1924 – 17 June 2015) was a Turkish people, Turkish politician, engineer, and statesman who served as the List of Presidents of Turkey, 9th President of Turkey from 1993 to 2000. He previously serv ...

(1997) * : Order of the Sacred Treasure, Golden and Silver Star (1992) * : Order of Leopold II by Prince Albert (later King Albert II of Belgium) (1987) * Gebze Institute of Technology: Industry Technology and Quality Award (2001) *

Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism The Ministry of Culture and Tourism () is a government ministry of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for culture and tourism affairs in Turkey. Revolving fund management of the ministry is carried by DÖSİMM. On July 9, 2018, the newly electe ...

: Grand Prize of Culture and Arts (1999) * Friends of American Board Schools in Turkey in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

: Businessman of the Year Award (1999) * European Institute for Economy in

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

: European Chrystal World Award (1997) * Gold Mercury International Award (1979)

Books

He wrote books mostly on his experience in business life. Some of them are translated into English and Japanese. The

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset or ...

from his books are being donated to Darülaceze and ''Türkiye Spastik Çocuklar Vakfı'' ( English: Turkey Foundation for Spastic Children). #''İşte Hayatım'' ( English: This is my life), 1985 #''Para Başarının Mükafatıdır'' ( English: Money is the Reward of Success), 1985 #''This is my life'' (English Edition), 1988 #''Gönül Galerimden'' ( English: From the Galleria of My Heart), 1988 #''Rusya'dan Amerika'ya'' ( English: From Russia to America), 1989 #''Ücret Pazarlığı mı? - Koyun Pazarlığı mı?'' ( English: Is it wage bargain or sheep bargain?), 1990 #''Değişen ve Gelişen Türkiye'' ( English: Turkey, Changing and Developing), 1991 #''Daha Fazla İş Daha Fazla Aş'' ( English: More Work, More Food), 1993 #''Doğu Anadolu Raporu'' ( English: Eastern Anatolian Report), 1995 #''Başarı Şimdi Aslanın Ağzında'' ( English: Success is Now in the Lion's Mouth), 1998 #''İşte Hayatım'' (Japanese Edition), 2000 #''Hayat Bazen Tatlıdır'' ( English: Life is Sometimes Sweet), 2001 #''Sakıpname'' ( English: Dedicated to Sakıp), 2002 #''Bıraktığım Yerden Hayatım'' ( English: My Life from where I Left Off), 2004 #''Her Şeyin Başı Sağlık'' ( English: Health First), 2004

References

External links