Koç family
Encyclopedia
The Koç family is a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 dynasty of business people founded by Vehbi Koç
Vehbi Koç
Vehbi Koç , born in Çoraklı, Ankara, Ottoman Empire, was a Turkish entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded the Koç Group, one of Turkey’s largest and most prestigious group of companies...

, one of the wealthiest self-made people in Turkey. His grandsons, the third generation of the Koç family, today run Turkey’s largest and prestigious group of companies.
  • Vehbi Koç
    Vehbi Koç
    Vehbi Koç , born in Çoraklı, Ankara, Ottoman Empire, was a Turkish entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded the Koç Group, one of Turkey’s largest and most prestigious group of companies...

    was born on July 20, 1901 in Ankara
    Ankara
    Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....

     and died on February 25, 1996 in İstanbul
    Istanbul
    Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

    . In 1926, he married Sadberk, the daughter of his aunt on his mother's side. Started in trade in his very young age, he built up a broad net of companies, and founded Koç Holding
    Koç Holding
    Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...

     in 1963. He became the richest person in Turkey. His son Rahmi Mustafa
    Rahmi Koç
    Rahmi Mustafa Koç is a Turkish businessmanBorn in Ankara as the only son of one of Turkey's wealthiest man Vehbi Koç, he attended high school at Robert College in Istanbul after his primary education in Ankara. Rahmi Koç then studied at the Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. and received his B.A...

     and three daughters Semahat, Sevgi and Suna succeeded him.

  • Semahat Koç, born 1928 in Ankara
    Ankara
    Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....

    , is the first child of Vehbi Koç. She graduated from the American College for Girls in Istanbul before studying at the Goethe Institute in Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    . She has been married to Dr. Nusret Arsel since 1956. Semahat is member of the board directors of Koç Holding
    Koç Holding
    Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...

     and the Koç Foundation. She is president of the "Semahat Arsel Nursing Education and Research Center".

  • Rahmi Mustafa Koç
    Rahmi Koç
    Rahmi Mustafa Koç is a Turkish businessmanBorn in Ankara as the only son of one of Turkey's wealthiest man Vehbi Koç, he attended high school at Robert College in Istanbul after his primary education in Ankara. Rahmi Koç then studied at the Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. and received his B.A...

    (born 1930 in Ankara
    Ankara
    Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....

    ) received his B.A.
    Bachelor of Arts
    A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

     degree from Johns Hopkins University
    Johns Hopkins University
    The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...

    , USA after graduating from the Robert College
    Robert College
    Robert College of Istanbul , is one of the most selective independent private high schools in Turkey. Robert College is a co-educational, boarding school with a wooded campus on the European side of Istanbul between the two bridges on the Bosphorus, with the Arnavutköy district to the east, and...

     in İstanbul. He served at various managerial posts in the group companies, and in 1984 took over the leadership of the business empire his father founded. Rahmi married Çiğdem Meseretçioğlu but after the birth of their three sons, the couple divorced. In 2003, he transferred his chair to his eldest son Mustafa. He is currently honorary chairman of Koç Holding
    Koç Holding
    Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...

    .

  • Mustafa Vehbi Koç, born 1960 in İstanbul, is the eldest son of Rahmi Koç. He was educated in the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz
    Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz
    Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz is a private preparatory school and international boarding school located in the village of Zuoz in the Engadin valley in Switzerland. Since its founding in 1904, it has catered to an international student body. Currently 40% of its students come from Switzerland, 35% Germany...

     in Switzerland
    Switzerland
    Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

    , and graduated in 1984 from George Washington University
    George Washington University
    The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...

    , USA. After serving at various posts, the third generation member of the family was appointed president of Koç Holding
    Koç Holding
    Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...

     in 2003. He is married to Caroline Giraud, the daughter of a renowned Levantine family from İzmir
    Izmir
    Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...

    . They have two daughters, Esra and Aylin.

  • Mehmet Ömer Koç was born on March 24, 1962 in Ankara
    Ankara
    Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....

     as the second son of Rahmi Koç. He graduated form Robert College
    Robert College
    Robert College of Istanbul , is one of the most selective independent private high schools in Turkey. Robert College is a co-educational, boarding school with a wooded campus on the European side of Istanbul between the two bridges on the Bosphorus, with the Arnavutköy district to the east, and...

     in İstanbul and Millfield School in Somerset
    Somerset
    The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

    , UK. Ömer was educated first at the Georgetown University
    Georgetown University
    Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

    , Washington D.C., and then obtained his B.A. and Master's degree
    Master's degree
    A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

     from Columbia University
    Columbia University
    Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

    , New York
    New York
    New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

    . After working in several posts in the Koç group companies, he is currently charged with the chair of energy group within the holding.

  • Ali Yıldırım Koç
    Ali Yildirim Koç
    Yıldırım Ali Koç is the youngest son of Rahmi Koç. After finishing the high school at Harrow School , London, he received his B.A. in Managerial Studies from Rice University , Houston, Texas, followed by his Master's degree from Harvard University...

    (born on April 2, 1967 in İstanbul) is the youngest son of Rahmi Koç. After finishing the high school at Harrow School
    Harrow School
    Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...

    , London
    London
    London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

    , he received his B.A. in 1989 from Rice University
    Rice University
    William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...

    , Houston, Texas
    Houston, Texas
    Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

    , followed by his Master's degree
    Master's degree
    A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

     from Harvard University
    Harvard University
    Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

     in 1997. He worked in various companies in the USA and in the Koç Group, and became chief executive of the information technologies group of the holding. He recently married Nevbahar Demirağ. He is vice-president of Turkish
    Turkey
    Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

     sports club Fenerbahçe SK
    Fenerbahçe SK
    Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü is a professional sports club based in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey. The club derives its name from the Fenerbahçe neighbourhood of Istanbul. Fenerbahçe is one of the biggest and the best supported clubs in Turkey. They are nicknamed Sarı Kanaryalar )...

    .


  • Sevgi Koç was born 1938 as the third child of Vehbi Koç. She graduated from the American College for Girls in Istanbul and married Erdoğan Gönül, a member of the board of directors of the Koç Holding. She was also made a member of the board of directors of Koç Holding
    Koç Holding
    Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...

     and the Koç Foundation. Sevgi also presided over the executive committee of the Sadberk Hanim Museum
    Sadberk Hanim Museum
    The Sadberk Hanım Museum is a private museum located at the Bosporus in Büyükdere neighborhood of Sarıyer district in Istanbul, Turkey, which was established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in memory of Vehbi Koç’s deceased wife Sadberk. The museum is open every day except Wednesdays.-Buildings:The...

     in İstanbul, and was a columnist in the Turkish newspaper "Hürriyet". She died on July 16, 2003 in İstanbul due to cancer, shortly after her husband.

  • Suna Koç, born 1941, is the fourth child of Vehbi Koç. She graduated from American College for Girls in Istanbul, and was then educated at the Bosphorus University, İstanbul. She is married to İnan Kıraç, a high ranking executive of the Koç Group. They have one child. Suna has served various posts in the holding, most recently as vice president. She is also a board member of various foundations and educational institutions. Due to her contributions in education, health and social service in Turkey, Suna was awarded "Supreme Service Medal" by state president Süleyman Demirel
    Süleyman Demirel
    Sami Süleyman Gündoğdu Demirel, better known as Süleyman Demirel , is a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister seven times and was the ninth President of Turkey.-Life:Demirel was born in İslamköy, a town in Isparta Province...

     in 1997. In 1999 The London Business School
    London Business School
    London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...

     chose to grant her "honorary membership" for her contributions in leadership at the Koç Holding
    Koç Holding
    Koç Holding A.Ş. is the top industrial conglomeratein Turkey. The Koç family, one of Turkey's wealthiest families, controls the company with its headquarter in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul...

     and in the education of children in Turkey.

See also

  • Pera Museum
    Pera Museum
    The Pera Museum , is a private art museum and gallery located in Istanbul, Turkey, which was established in 2005 by the "Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation". Suna Kıraç is the youngest daughter of the late Turkish tycoon Vehbi Koç, and İnan Kıraç her husband...

  • Rahmi M Koç Museum
    Rahmi M Koç Museum
    The Rahmi M. Koç Museum is a private industrial museum in Istanbul, Turkey dedicated to history of transport, industry and communications. Rahmi M. Koç, member of the wealthiest dynasty in Turkey and retired boss of the Koç Group, founded the museum in 1991, which was opened on December 13, 1994...

  • Sadberk Hanim Museum
    Sadberk Hanim Museum
    The Sadberk Hanım Museum is a private museum located at the Bosporus in Büyükdere neighborhood of Sarıyer district in Istanbul, Turkey, which was established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in memory of Vehbi Koç’s deceased wife Sadberk. The museum is open every day except Wednesdays.-Buildings:The...

  • Koc School
    Koç School
    The Koç School is a private school in Istanbul, Turkey. It was founded by Vehbi Koç, one of Turkey's wealthiest businessmen, and is currently under the umbrella of the Vehbi Koç Foundation. The school comprises a high school, which was established in 1988, and an elementary school, established ten...

  • Koc University
    Koç University
    Koç University is a private, non-profit institution, founded in 1993 and located in Istanbul, Turkey. One of the top universities in Turkey, it is supported by the financial resources of the Vehbi Koç Foundation, set up by Vehbi Koç, a leading Turkish businessman, “to serve humanity by increasing...

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