Murat Ulker Net Worth & Biography

Born in the year 1959, Murat Ülker is a Turkish businessman and investor who attended and graduated from the Management Department of the School of Administrative Sciences at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. He studied sector-specific subjects at international schools like Zentralfachschule der Deutschen Süßwarenwirtschaft and the American Institute of Baking, and experienced an internship at the reputed American company Continental Baking. In less than three years, he visited more than sixty chocolate, biscuit, and food factories in Europe and the United States in a bid to garner experience and scope on the business which he dreamed of going into. He also worked on several projects for the International Executive Service Corps before joining Yıldız Holding as a control coordinator in 1984. Over the following years Murat assumed the role of assistant general manager before getting promoted to the seat general director. As a member of the board and executive committee of various companies in the group, he orchestrated a series of cornerstone investments that went on to prove to be lucrative. In 2000, he was made the chairman of the executive committee, and he maintained this post for eight straight years before becoming the chairman of the Board of Directors. As of this publication, Ülker continues to take an active responsibility in companies affiliated to Yildiz as a Member of the Board.

Early Life: Education, Childhood

He was born in Istanbul, Turkey on 21 March 1959 to Sabri Ülker and Güzide İman. His family raised him according to the teachings of the Islamic religion, and he experienced his childhood in parts of Istanbul in the company of his siblings and close relatives.

For his education, Murat attended high school at İstanbul Erkek Lisesi. He later attended Boğaziçi University from which he graduated with a degree in business administration. He later studied abroad at and Zentralfachschule der Deutschen Süßwarenwirtschaft (ZDS) and the American Institute of Baking (AIB).

After completing his education, Murat trained at Continental Baking Company in America, and also worked on a number of International Executive Service Corps projects before joining Yildiz.

Professional Life: Business Career

In 1984, Murat Ülker joined the Ülker Group, a subsidiary of Yıldız Holding, as a control coordinator. He worked hard at this establishment over the years that followed, and his efforts helped him earn a promotion to the position of assistant general manager for enterprises at the company. A short while later, he got promoted once again to the role of general manager. He became the chief executive officer of Yildiz Holding in the year 2000, and eight years later, he was appointed as the chairman of the company

As chairman of Yıldız Holding, Murat led the company to expand its business. Several acquisitions were made, including GODIVA Chocolatier in 2008 and United Biscuits six years later.

In 2016, Yildiz started a new global business, pladis, by merging three of its brands: United Biscuits, Ülker, and DeMet’s Candy Company. Murat still heads the lucrative business venture as chairman of the board of directors.

Established in 1944 by Sabri and Asim Ülker, whose parents emigrated to Turkey from the Crimea, Yıldız Holding is a Turkish corporation that is best known for its expertise in the business enterprise of food products. The company produces other consumer goods and also has its own real estate, private equity and retail  operations. Yıldız Holding is one of the largest food manufacturers in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, generating revenues of 3 billion dollars in 2017 across all businesses. The company employs over 56,000 people and has more than 80 plants (25 of which are outside Turkey). Furthermore, the company boasts of having more than 320 brands available in over 130 countries. Through its core focus on confectionery, biscuits, and cakes, Yildiz has become number seven in the world in the chocolate category, and number two in the sweet and biscuits category, by revenue.

Philanthropy

In 2009, Murat Ülker established the Sabri Ulker Foundation which is dedicated to making a lasting contribution to public health, particularly concerned with areas of food and nutrition.

In 2014, the Ülker family made a $24 million donation to Harvard University. The funding, distributed over a 10-year-period, was provided to erect The Sabri Ülker Center for Nutrient, Genetic, and Metabolic Research. The center addresses complex diseases to help millions of people around the world with illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Personal Life: Wife, Children, Private Interests

Murat Ülker is a happily married man, and a proud father of three children. He lives in Istanbul with his family.

Asides from his business and his relationship with the companies he leads, Murat is also known for his interest in Islamic calligraphy and modern art. He also enjoys sailing and travelling around the world with his family.

An enthusiastic art collector, Murat sponsored the retrospective art exhibition “Fifty Years of Urban Walls” in 2012. The event was held at Istanbul Modern and attracted more than 200,000 visitors with 120 works by Burhan Dogançay.

Murat Ulker Net Worth: Salary, Assets, Income Sources

This 63-year-old Turkish entrepreneur is famous in the food manufacturing industry in Turkey. Also known to be one of the wealthiest people in his country, Murat Ulker has a net worth of 6.3 billion dollars (according to a recent estimate by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index). After working for Continental Baking Company in the United States, Murat joined his father’s company, Ulker Food Company. This set the foundation for the accumulation of Murat’s wealth, which has been on a constant increase over the last ten years at least.

Today, Murat Ulker owns 63 percent of Turkish conglomerate Yildiz Holding. According to Forbes magazine’s 2022 list of the world’s wealthiest people, Murat is named as Turkey’s richest billionaire. His wealth jumped from $4.3 billion in 2020 to $6.3 billion in less than two years. One of the biggest food companies in existence, Murat’s Yildiz controls companies like Godiva Chocolatier, Pladis Global and SOK.