Jan Kulczyk
Telecom

Jan Kulczyk Net Worth

Jan Kulczyk, born on June 24, 1950 in Poland, was the country's richest individual at the time of his sudden death in July 2015 due to complications related to minor heart surgery. He was worth $4 billion, with most of his wealth tied up in his stake in South African brewer SABMiller. Kulczyk had a controversial career, having benefitted from Poland's privatization of state owned businesses in the 1990s. He won a government contract to deliver cars for Poland's police and Office of State Protection, and later leveraged into stakes in energy and financial services firms. He faced parliamentary hearings about his role in the sale of Poland's oil giant Orlen, which included allegations of meeting a Russian spy, but he denied the allegations and eventually made his holdings more transparent. He is survived by his son Sebastian and daughter Dominika, both of whom are already running the family's businesses.
Jan Kulczyk is a member of Telecom

Age, Biography and Wiki

Birth Day June 24, 1950
Birth Place Poland
Age 70 YEARS OLD
Died On 29 July 2015(2015-07-29) (aged 65)\nVienna, Austria
Birth Sign Cancer
Resting place Jeżycki Cemetery Poznań
Residence Poznań, Poland
Alma mater Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań University of Economics
Occupation Businessman
Children 2

💰 Net worth: $4 Billion (2024)

Jan Kulczyk, also known as Telecom in Poland, is a renowned businessman whose net worth is estimated to reach a staggering $4 billion by the year 2024. Kulczyk has made a name for himself in the telecommunications sector, establishing himself as a pioneer in the industry. With his exceptional business acumen and strategic vision, he has successfully built a vast empire, consolidating his prominence in Poland and beyond. Jan Kulczyk's impressive net worth is a testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering commitment to transforming the telecommunications landscape.

2010 $2.1 Billion
2011 $2.6 Billion
2012 $2.7 Billion
2013 $3.5 Billion
2014 $3.6 Billion
2015 $4 Billion
2018 $4 Billion

Biography/Timeline

1950

Jan Kulczyk (24 June 1950 – 29 July 2015) was a Polish billioanire businessman and Entrepreneur. He was the founder and owner of Kulczyk Holding (headquartered in Warsaw) and an international investment house Kulczyk Investments (former name: Kulczyk Investment House) with headquarters in Luxembourg and offices in London and Kiev. According to the Forbes magazine, Kulczyk was the richest Pole.

1968

Kulczyk graduated from VI Jan i Jędrzej Śniadeccy Secondary School in Bydgoszcz in 1968. He studied law at the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan and foreign trade at the Poznań University of Economics and Business (then: Academy of Economics in Poznań). He received a doctor’s degree in political sciences and international law in 1975.

1980

Jan Kulczyk was divorced with two children from his marriage with Grażyna Kulczyk: Sebastian (born 1980) and Dominika (born 1977). After the divorce, Joanna Przetakiewicz was his long-time partner.

1981

In 1981 Kulczyk founded his first company with money from his Father Henryk. The Interkulpol joint-venture was one of the first international trade companies formed in Poland after the second world war. In 1988, Jan Kulczyk became the official Volkswagen dealer in Poland. His first large-scale deal was a PLN 150-million (35.7 million euro) sale of 3,000 Volkswagen cars delivered to the Polish police and the security services in the early 1990s. In 1991, Kulczyk Holding a limited liability company was founded. In 1993, the company changed its legal form into a joint-stock company. Jan Kulczyk held the post of the chairman of the supervisory board.

2004

In 2004, Jan Kulczyk was associated with to the Orlen Scandal. The parliamentary investigative commission report stated that Jan Kulczyk could have considerable influence over operations and human resources politics of PKN Orlen, incommensurable to the share he held. Moreover, the report stated that Jan Kulczyk met with the former KGB resident in Poland, Vladimir Alganov.

2007

Jan Kulczyk was top ranked 13 times at the list of the 100 richest Poles issued by the Wprost magazine. In 2007 he was ranked 12th, due to his divorce from Grażyna Kulczyk. In 2015, Forbes ranked him 418th richest man in the world ($4 billion).

2008

In February 2008, he was incorporated into confraternity of the Order of Saint Paul.

2009

In 2009, company traded a 28% share in Kompania Piwowarska for a 3% share in SABMiller - the world’s second biggest beer Producer.

2010

In 2010, he founded the CEED Institute, a think-tank promoting the development of Central and Eastern Europe region.

2011

Kulczyk Investments created Polenergia, Poland's first private Energy group with regional scope, operating in the sectors of Energy generation, distribution and trading from conventional and unconventional sources. In 2011, the Kulczyk Group acquired a 100% share in Nowa Sarzyna Power Plant.

2012

In 2012, the Forbes magazine put Jan Kulczyk at the top of the richest businessmen in Poland ranking, with PLN 8.9 billion (2.1 billion euro). The same year, the Wprost magazine also put Jan Kulczyk at the top of its ranking, assessing his wealth at PLN 9,7 billion. In 2013, the American edition of Forbes magazine rated Jan Kulczyk 384th of the wealthiest people in the world, with a $3.5 billion worth fortune, making him the highest ranked Pole among the world’s billionaires.

2013

Jan Kulczyk was the co-founder of the Polish Business Roundtable. He was also the Honorary Chairman of the GermanPolish Chamber of Commerce.

2014

In March 2014, he founded the Council of Polish Investors in Africa, an initiative formed to support Polish companies in establishing Business relations on the African markets. The Council consists of representatives of the largest Polish companies and enterprises investing on this continent, including Ursus, Navimor, Asseco, Kulczyk Investments, Polpharma, Grupa Azoty, Krezus and Lubawa.

2015

Jan Kulczyk died on 29 July 2015 in Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien in Vienna due to postoperative complications. He was buried in the family vault at the Jeżycki cemetery in Poznan, next to his Father, Henryk Kulczyk (1925-2013).

2019

Jan Kulczyk was also linked to the so-called Kulczyk Park affair. The Poznan city officials were accused of underrating the land value in the city center, where Jan Kulczyk’s wife carried out the Old Brewery investment.

Some Jan Kulczyk images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.