Vehbi Koç

Vehbi Koç was born in Ankara and began in trade in a small grocery shop. He registered his company in 1926 and in 1938 founded one of Türkiye's first joint-stock trading companies.

Under his leadership the Koç Group grew into one of the country's largest businesses in automotive (Otosan, Tofaş), household appliances (Arçelik), energy and finance; Koç Holding was founded in 1963. The Anadol, Türkiye's first domestically produced passenger car (1966), also came from the group.

The Vehbi Koç Foundation, established in 1969, runs schools, Koç University, hospitals, museums and scholarships and is one of Türkiye's largest charities.