Table of Biography
Hamdi Ulukaya is a well-known businessman, activist, and philanthropist from Turkey. Hamdi Ulukaya is best known as the founder and CEO of Chobani, a leading yogurt brand in the United States.
Early Life
On the 26th of October 1972, Hamdi Ulukaya was born in İliç, Turkey. In addition, he holds Turkish nationality and he is 51 years old as of 2024. He has a birth sign of Scorpio and he belongs to the Turkish ethnicity. However, it is still a secret when it comes to his religious beliefs.
Talking about his parents’ names, Ulukaya has not disclosed anything regarding it in public or media. However, it is known that his family owned and operated a sheep, goat, and dairy farm near the Euphrates River in İliç, Erzincan Province. And, the family used to make cheese and yogurt. Moreover, he grew up with his six siblings whose names are yet to be disclosed by him.
Ulukaya attended a local high school in Turkey. Later, he enrolled himself at Ankara University in Turkey, studying Political Science. After that, he moved to the United States in 1994. There, he studied English at Adelphi University in New York. And, he studied business courses at the State University of New York in upstate New York.
Professional Career
After moving to the United States to study, Hamdi Ulukaya used to work odd jobs, including as a dishwasher, a cab driver, and a factory worker to pay college fees and to survive in the United States. Moreover, after completing his graduation, he started a small feta cheese business in upstate New York in the year 2002.
Caption: Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO of Chobani (Source: Daily Sabah)
In 2005, he purchased a yogurt plant in New Berlin, New York, with the help of a small business loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. He founded Chobani, a brand of Greek-style yogurt, and began producing and selling it under the Chobani name.
His brand, Chobani quickly became popular in the United States and grew rapidly, becoming the best-selling Greek yogurt brand in the country. In addition, the company expanded its product line to include yogurt drinks, creamers, and non-dairy products. Ulukaya also became the majority investor in La Colombe Coffee Roasters, in mid-2015.
Philanthropist
Apart from his businesses, he is well known for his philanthropic efforts. In 2016, he signed the Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of his wealth to charitable causes. He has also established the Chobani Foundation, which supports programs that promote economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and community engagement. Some of the foundation’s initiatives include supporting local farmers, expanding access to healthy food, and helping refugees and immigrants.
In addition to his foundation, Ulukaya has made personal donations to a variety of causes, including disaster relief efforts and educational programs. He also founded the Hamdi Ulukaya Initiative, which aims to support and promote entrepreneurship among refugees and immigrants.
Hamdi Ulukaya – Awards
Caption: Hamdi Ulukaya giving a speech after winning an award (Source: Instagram)
In his career, Ulukaya has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2o12, he earned the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the New York Region. He was listed in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (2017).
The same year, he was included in Fortune Magazine’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders (2017). He was honored with the Ellis Island Medal in the year 2018. In 2018, Forbes listed him as one of America’s Most Successful Immigrants.
Net Worth 2024
As of 2022, this Turkish successful businessman has an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion. Moreover, he has been able to achieve this huge success through his business, mainly through his Chobani brand.
Relationship Status
Talking about his personal life, Hamdi Ulukaya married his wife, Louise Vongerichten in January 2018. His wife, Louise is a co-founder and president of the Food Dreams Foundation, founder of the sustainable kids clothing line Mon Coeur, and daughter of famous French-American chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. With the marriage, the couple has a son Miran.
Caption: Hamdi with his wife and their newborn baby (Source: Instagram)
In the past, this Turkish businessman was briefly married in the late 1990s to New York City doctor Ayşe Giray. In 2012, his ex-wife, Dr. Ayşe Giray sued Ulukaya for a 53 percent stake in the company claiming her family lent him $500,000 for the business. Moreover, the suit was settled for an undisclosed amount. In addition, he had a son, Aga, with Alida Boer.
Body Measurements
Caption: Hamdi giving an interview (Source: Instagram)
This Turkish businessman is 5 feet 8 inches tall (1.75 m) and weighs around 83 kg (182 lbs). Meanwhile, he has salt-pepper hair and brown eyes and his other body measurements are yet to be disclosed by him.
Hamdi Ulukaya – Social Media
On his Instagram page ‘@hamdi.ulukaya,’ there are over 61.1k followers. Likewise, there are over 68.2k followers on his Twitter page ‘@hamdiulukaya’ and over 106k followers on his Facebook.