Calouste Gulbenkian

British-Armenian businessman (1869–1955)

Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (English pronunciation /kæˈluːst ɡʊlˈbɛŋkiən/; Western Armenian: Գալուստ Սարգիս Կիւլպէնկեան, romanized: Kalousd Sarkis Giulbêngean, pronounced [kʰɑlust ɡʏlbɛŋɡjɑn]; 23 March 1869 – 20 July 1955) was an Armenian-British businessman. He played a major role in making the petroleum reserves of the Middle East available to Western development and is credited with being the first person to exploit Iraqi oil. Following the "Red Line Agreement" (said by some accounts to have been drafted by himself), a fixed 5% of the shares of the Turkish Petroleum Company (later renamed the Iraqi Petroleum Company) were to be consistently owned by him, for which he earned the nickname "Mr.

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