Calouste Gulbenkian

Calouste Gulbenkian
GCC
Gulbenkian in the 1890s
Born
Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian

(1869-03-23)23 March 1869
Scutari, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (present-day Üsküdar, Istanbul, Turkey)
Died20 July 1955(1955-07-20) (aged 86)
Lisbon, Portugal
Resting placeSt. Sarkis Armenian Church, London
Citizenship
Alma materKing's College London
OccupationPetroleum engineer
Years active1895–1955
Organizations
Spouse
Nevarte Essayan
​
​
(m. 1892; died 1952)​
Children2, including Nubar Sarkis
Signature

Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (/kæˈluːst ɡʊlˈbɛŋkiən/, Western Armenian: Գալուստ Կիւլպէնկեան; 23 March 1869 – 20 July 1955), nicknamed "Mr Five Per Cent", was a British-Armenian businessman and philanthropist. He played a major role in making the petroleum reserves of the Middle East available to Western development and is credited with being the first person to exploit Iraqi oil.[1] Gulbenkian travelled extensively and lived in a number of cities including Istanbul, London, Paris, and Lisbon.

Throughout his life, Gulbenkian was involved with many philanthropic activities including the establishment of schools, hospitals, and churches. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, a private foundation based in Portugal, was created in 1956 by his bequest and continues to promote arts, charity, education, and science throughout the world. It is now among the largest foundations in Europe.[2] By the end of his life he had become one of the world's wealthiest people and his art acquisitions one of the greatest private collections.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2006. p. 817. ISBN 1593394926.
  2. ^ Anheier, Toepler & List 2010, p. 816.
  3. ^ "Calouste Gulbenkian Dies at 86. One of the Richest Men in the World. Oil Financier, Art Collector Lived in Obscurity, Drove in Rented Automobile". The New York Times. 21 July 1955.
  4. ^ "Solid Gold Scrooge". Time. 23 July 1958. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
  5. ^ Chilvers 2005, p. 320.