Portrait of Selçuk Bayraktar

Rank #1558

Selçuk Bayraktar

Net worth $2.7B

Military drones · Turkey

Born
Oct 07, 1979
Age
46
Source
Military drones
Residence
Istanbul
Citizenship
Turkey
Marital status
Married
Children
2
Education

Net worth over time

Biography

  • Selçuk Bayraktar owns 52.5% of Turkish unmanned military drone manufacturer Baykar. He chairs the board and serves as chief technological officer.
  • He co-owns the firm with his brother Haluk; the company was founded by their father Özdemir in 1984 to make parts for the Turkish auto industry.
  • Baykar recorded sales of $1.9 billion in 2023 and its exports rose to $1.8 billion in 2024, thanks to contracts with militaries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
  • Baykar's most famous export, the Bayraktar drone, has been used so successfully by Ukrainian troops that it inspired a popular folk song.
  • He is the son-in-law of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having married his daughter Sümeyye in 2016.