Calouste Gulbenkian
1869 - 1955
Calouste Gulbenkian born into an illustrious Armenian family in Scutari, Turkey. The oil baron got his start in England: he studied petroleum engineering at King's College London and immediately thereafter went to the oil-rich Middle East and opened it up to the world; he was also instrumental in founding the oil-giant Royal Dutch/Shell. Gulbenkian was the main architect behind the Turkish Petroleum Company, which was created in 1912/1914 so that the biggest European oil companies could explore for oil in Iraq: this would also ensure that other firms would be kept out, thus greater profits for the participants.
From all of his business endeavors, Gulbenkian amassed an incredible fortune, which he used to build an amazing art collection. His collection is now housed in a museum in Lisbon, Portugal, and includes rare and treasured art, some dating back nearly 4,000 years; When he died, a clause in his will created the Gulbenkian Foundation, whose activities are in the fields of arts, charity, education and science. The foundation also awards an annual Gulbenkian Prize of £100,000 to a museum or gallery in the United Kingdom for "track record of imagination, innovation and excellence".
Did you know?
Gulbenkian is very well known as "Mr. Five Percent" because he had a 5% interest in the Turkish Petroleum Company, which he put together. It may not seem like a lot, but it was enough to make him a multimillionaire and reportedly the richest man in the world for many years!
If you would like to learn more, here are some suggested sources:
Gulbenkian Museum
Gulbenkian Foundation
Calouste Gulbenkian
Iraq Petroleum Company
Gulbenkian Prize
Gulbenkian Essay
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