İshak Alaton

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

İshak Alaton (2 September 1927 – 11 September 2016) was a Turkish businessman and investor. He was a founding partner of the Alarko group of companies, which grew into a major Turkish business holding.

Early life and education
İshak Alaton was born in Istanbul in 1927. He attended Şişli Terakki High School and Saint Michel French High School, graduating in 1946. After completing his military service in Polatlı, Ankara, he went to Sweden in 1951 to work as a welder at Motala Verkstad’s locomotive factory. He later studied engineering drawing and worked as an industrial designer until 1954.

Founding Alarko
In 1954, Alaton returned to Turkey and co-founded Alarko Company with Üzeyir Garih. Under their leadership, Alarko grew into a large holding company with diverse interests.

Wealth and later life
Forbes estimated Alaton’s net worth at about $882 million in 2007. He served as chairman of the board of Alarko Holding. In 2001, his business partner Üzeyir Garih was murdered while visiting the grave of a Muslim mystic.

Death and legacy
İshak Alaton died on 11 September 2016 from heart failure, at the age of 89. He is remembered as one of Turkey’s prominent Jewish entrepreneurs who helped build a major business group.

See also
- Alarko Holding
- Üzeyir Garih