
Hamdi Ulukaya
Founder and CEO, Chobani
$2.44B
as of 04/04/25
About Hamdi Ulukaya
Hamdi Ulukaya, known as the yogurt king, is the founder of America's most popular Greek yogurt brand, Chobani.
Ulukaya grew up in a Kurdish dairy-farming family in Turkey and raised sheep. He eventually left to study political science at Ankara University.
He immigrated to the U.S. in 1994 to study English in upstate New York, an area that reminded him of the small farming villages in Eastern Turkey.
With a loan from the Small Business Administration, he bought an old yogurt plant there in 2005 and developed a recipe inspired by his heritage.
He started selling his yogurt in 2007; in 2023, Chobani pulled in more than $2 billion in sales.
Personal stats
Citizenship
TürkiyeSource of wealth
Greek yogurtResidence
Norwich, New YorkMarital status
MarriedBirth date
10/26/72 (age 52)Education
Master of Business Administration, SUNY AlbanySelf-made
self-madeHamdi Ulukaya’s fortune is worth

41K
troy ounces of gold

38K
median U.S. household

24K
median U.S. income

0.049%
U.S. credit card volume

0.01%
GDP of the United States

0.007%
United States debt
Net worth history
Annual ranking
Did you know?
Refugees and immigrants, who make up 30% Chobani's workforce, are offered English language classes as well as translators in up to 11 languages.
Net worth over time
Real-time ranking
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