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Ali Sabanci, chairman of Istanbul-based ESAS Holding and Türkiye’s 34th richest person, said he “can’t make ends meet,” arguing that personal ambition and global competition continue to shape business priorities despite wealth.
“Everyone has material ambitions. Let me tell you something: I have material ambitions. I can’t make ends meet. That is, compared to what I desire, I can’t make ends meet,” Sabanci said, according to a report by Turkish media outlet Ekonomim.
Ali Ismail Sabanci is a Turkish businessman and a third-generation member of the Sabanci family, one of Türkiye’s wealthiest families. He serves as chairman of the board of ESAS Holding. According to Forbes 2025 data, Sabanci has a net worth of $960 million, making him Türkiye’s 34th richest person.
Sabanci made the remarks while speaking as a panelist at Fast Company Türkiye’s final CEO Council event of 2025 in Istanbul, during a session titled “Preparation After the New Normal.”
Reflecting on Türkiye’s economic debates, Sabanci said business leaders often focus narrowly on domestic indicators.
“We live in such a country that it is very natural to focus on questions like ‘What will happen to interest rates?’, ‘What will happen to inflation?’, ‘What will happen to growth?’ However, when you land in London and the passport officer asks you, ‘What is the purpose of your visit?’ that is when you realize how big the real world actually is,” he said.
Sabanci said ESAS Holding operates with a broad international footprint.
“We have 120–130 partners. We invest from the West Coast of the United States to Africa and to Türkiye,” he added.
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