Ferit Şahenk Net Worth $2.7 Billion
Ferit Şahenk, born 1964) is the Chairman of Turkey’s Doğuş Group and one of the richest people in Turkey.
Şahenk graduated from The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) and earned his B.A. from Boston College with a degree in Marketing and Human Resources in 1989. After graduation, Şahenk returned to Istanbul, where his father, Ayhan Şahenk (1929–2001), sent him to apprentice at Doğuş’ Garanti Bank. After eight years he moved to the holding company, and beginning in 1998, he has acquired two food retail chains and operated NTV by funding the expansion by selling part of the group’s Garanti Bank to the public.
Understanding that top talent is essential to running a diverse group, he also created a recruitment division, Humanitas. Revenues for 1999 at privately held Doğuş Group hit $5.7 billion. In May 2000, he instituted centralized back-office operations for Doğuş’ multiple banks and is doing the same for its auto dealerships. To its banking business, Şahenk added leasing, insurance and cashback reward schemes like those of Discover Card in the United States – financial services still uncommon in Turkey at the time.
Ferit is married to Diane Sahenk and they have a daughter named Defne. Also his cousin Melis Şahenk is a designer.
Ferit donated 3 million CHF to his alma mater The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) in order to help creating the Ferit Sahenk Fine Arts Center.
