Hamdi Ulukaya, the Turkish-American founder of US-based yogurt brand Chobani, is reportedly acquiring a mansion on İstanbul’s Bosporus for $45 million after leasing it for $120,000 a month, the pro-government Sabah newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Ulukaya has reportedly exercised a purchase option to acquire the iconic Feyyaz Tokar mansion, a landmark on İstanbul’s Bosporus. According to Sabah, Ulukaya paid a year’s rent in advance before opting to buy the property.
The mansion was previously purchased in 2012 by American investor Ahmet Okumuş for $25 million and later rented by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich. It has recently garnered interest from high-profile investors like Ulukaya, who has a net worth of $2.3 billion, according to Forbes.
Ulukaya is widely recognized for building Chobani into a leading global Greek yogurt brand and for his philanthropic initiatives. His reported purchase of the mansion comes amid a growing trend of domestic and international investors targeting İstanbul’s waterfront properties.