Sakıp Sabancı facts for kids

Sakıp Sabancı (born April 7, 1933 – died April 10, 2004) was a very successful Turkish businessman and a philanthropist. A philanthropist is someone who gives a lot of money and time to help others. He was known for his big contributions to education and art.

Life and Business Journey

Sakıp Sabancı was the second son in his family. His father was a cotton trader. Sakıp started working in his father's business even before he finished high school. He learned a lot about business from a young age.

He became the head of Sabancı Holding, which is one of Turkey's largest business groups. This group includes many different companies. In 2004, he was listed as one of the richest people in the world.

Growing the Family Business

Sakıp Sabancı took over the family business in the 1980s. He worked with his brothers to make it grow even bigger. The Sabancı Group of Companies now works in many different countries. They sell their products all over the world.

Today, Sabancı Holding manages over 60 companies. These companies are involved in many areas. They work in textiles, tourism, cars, chemicals, and banking. They also have partnerships with famous companies like Hilton and IBM. Many of their companies are listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange.

Supporting Education and Art

Sakıp Sabancı believed in the power of education. In 1999, he founded the Sabancı University. This university helps many young people get a good education.

He also loved art. He collected many Ottoman and Turkish paintings. He also had a large collection of Ottoman calligraphy. These art pieces are now shown at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum. This museum used to be his family home in Istanbul. It opened as a museum in 2002.

Sakıp Sabancı passed away in 2004 at the age of 71. He had kidney cancer. He was given a special state funeral, which shows how important he was to Turkey.

Special University Degrees

Sakıp Sabancı received many special degrees called honorary doctorates. These are given by universities to people who have achieved great things. He received them from universities in both Turkey and the United States.

• 1984 Anadolu University, Eskişehir
• 1986 University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire, United States
• 1992 Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul
• 1993 Erciyes University, Kayseri
• 1997 Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale
• 1997 Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul
• 1997 Girne American University, Kyrenia, Cyprus
• 1997 Trakya University, Edirne
• 1997 Istanbul University, Istanbul
• 1998 Southeastern University, Washington D.C., United States
• 1999 Çukurova University, Adana
• 2002 Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale

Recognized with Awards

Many groups and countries gave Sakıp Sabancı awards. These awards recognized his success in business and his help to society.

• 1979 "Golden Mercury Award" for successful businessmen.
• 1987 Belgian "Ordre de Léopold II, Commander Class" from the Belgian Prince Albert.
• 1992 Japanese "Order of the Sacred Treasure, Golden and Silver Star" from the Japanese Government.
• 1997 Turkish "State Medal of Distinguished Service" from the Turkish President.
• 1997 "European Chrystal World Award" from an institute in Switzerland.
• 1999 "Businessman of the Year Award" from a foundation in New York City, USA.
• 1999 Turkish "Grand Prize of Culture and Arts" from the Ministry of Culture.
• 2001 Turkish "Industry Technology and Quality Award" from a technology institute.
• 2001 French "Légion d'honneur" from President Jacques Chirac. This was for his help in building good relationships between France and Turkey.

Books He Wrote

Sakıp Sabancı wrote several books. Most of them were about his experiences in the business world. Some of his books were even translated into English and Japanese language. He donated all the money he earned from his books to charities. These charities helped people in need and children with special conditions.

• 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 heart), 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 where I left off), 445 pp, ISBN: 975-293-181-2.
• Her Şeyin Başı Sağlık; (Health first) 176 pp, ISBN: 975-293-217-7.

See also

• List of billionaires
• Adile Sultan Palace
• Sakip Sabanci, This is my life, 1985
• The Sabanci Group In Brief
• Official website (English): https://web.archive.org/web/20100825145119/http://www.sabancivakfi.org/eng/
• Encyclopædia Britannica, Sakip Sabanci