Osman Kibar
{{Short description|Turkish-American biotech entrepreneur }}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
Osman Kibar is a Turkish American billionaire. He is the founder of the biotechnology firm Biosplice.{{cite news |last1=Herper |first1=Matthew |title=Cure Baldness? Heal Arthritis? Erase Wrinkles? An Unknown Billionaire's Quest To Reverse Aging |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2016/04/13/the-god-pill |accessdate=July 29, 2020 |work=Forbes |date=May 10, 2016 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Osman Kibar kimdir? |url=https://www.milliyet.com.tr/gundem/osman-kibar-kimdir-2227787 |accessdate=August 30, 2020 |work=Milliyet |date=April 15, 2016 |language=tr}}{{cite news |last1=Amirah |first1=Al Idrus |title=In conversation with Samumed CEO Osman Kibar: Drugging Wnt, restoring youth and unconventional capital |url=https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/conversation-osman-kibar-ceo-samumed |accessdate=August 30, 2020 |work=FierceBiotech |date=August 15, 2019 |language=en}}
Early life and education
Kibar was born in İzmir, Turkey, as the grandson of {{Interlanguage link|Osman Kibar (politician)|tr|Osman Kibar|lt=Osman Kibar|WD=}}, who was the mayor of İzmir from 1964 to 1973.{{Cite web|date=December 10, 2018|title=50 milyar $'a koşan türk|url=https://www.capital.com.tr/is-dunyasi/soylesiler/50-milyar-a-kosan-turk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925094457/https://www.capital.com.tr/is-dunyasi/soylesiler/50-milyar-a-kosan-turk|archive-date=September 25, 2019|access-date=November 2, 2020|website=|publisher=capital.com.tr|language=tr}} His father, Seli Kibar, was an economist.{{Cite web|date=May 29, 2014|title=İşadamı Seli Kibar yaşama veda etti|url=https://www.yeniasir.com.tr/gundem/2014/05/29/isadami-seli-kibar-yasama-veda-etti|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925102245/https://www.yeniasir.com.tr/gundem/2014/05/29/isadami-seli-kibar-yasama-veda-etti|archive-date=September 25, 2019|access-date=November 2, 2020|website=|publisher=yeniasir.com.tr|language=tr}}
He attended İzmir Gazipaşa Primary School{{Cite web|date=July 20, 2019|title=İzmir'den yola çıktı Amerika'da başardı|url=https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/gundem/izmirden-yola-cikti-amerikada-basardi-5239577/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720050208/https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/gundem/izmirden-yola-cikti-amerikada-basardi-5239577/|archive-date=July 20, 2019|access-date=November 2, 2020|website=|publisher=Sözcü (gazete)|language=tr}} and then Robert College. For college, he moved to the United States to attend a 3-2 program, studying economics at Pomona College{{cite news |last1=Norwood |first1=Robyn |title=How to Build a Fountain of Youth (Piece by Piece) |url=https://magazine.pomona.edu/2016/fall/how-to-build-a-fountain-of-youth-piece-by-piece/ |accessdate=August 30, 2020 |work=Pomona College Magazine |publisher=Pomona College |date=October 25, 2016}} and electrical engineering at Caltech, and receiving a bachelor's degree from both. He did his master's degree and doctorate on biophotonics at UC San Diego.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
Career
In the late 1990s, when he was finishing his doctorate, he invented a cancer diagnosis system, which he turned into a company called Genoptix. The company went public a few years later, and was purchased by Novartis in 2011 for $476 million.{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2011 |title=Genoptix Announces Agreement to be Acquired by Novartis |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genoptix-announces-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-novartis-114470719.html |access-date=December 18, 2023 |website=PR Newswire |language=en}}
After completing his education, Kibar moved to New York City, where he worked for the hedge fund sponsor Pequot Capital.{{Cite web |last=Meiling |first=Brittany |date=April 25, 2016 |title=Out of the Shadows |url=https://www.sdbj.com/life-sciences/healthcare/out-shadows/ |access-date=December 18, 2023 |website=San Diego Business Journal |language=en-US}}
He subsequently moved back to San Diego and in August 2011 founded a biotechnology company named Wintherix with an investment of $3.5 million from his friend Cevdet Samikoğlu. He later renamed the company Samumed, and subsequently Biosplice. Its investors include Ali Sabancı and Ergun Özen. The company researches cures for articular cartilage damage, hair loss, degenerative disc disease, lung tissue regeneration, cancer, psoriasis, damaged tendons, and Alzheimer's disease.
{{as of|2020|11}}, Kibar has a net worth of $2.9 billion.{{cite web |title=Osman Kibar |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/osman-kibar/ |website=Forbes |access-date=December 4, 2020 |language=en}} He ranked eighth on Forbes Turkey{{'}}s 2017 list of the 100 richest Turks.{{Cite web|date=March 3, 2017|title=İşte Türkiye'nin en zengin 50 ismi|url=https://www.cnnturk.com/ekonomi/turkiyenin-en-zengin-isimleri-aciklandi?page=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112074523/https://www.cnnturk.com/ekonomi/turkiyenin-en-zengin-isimleri-aciklandi?page=1|archive-date=November 12, 2017|access-date=November 12, 2017|publisher=CNN Türk|language=tr}}
Personal life
Kibar is married and has four children.
Despite his wealth, he spends money extremely frugally, saying that all the activities he enjoys, such as reading, playing go, and moviegoing, are free. Kibar is also a successful poker player, and won the first tournament he ever entered in 2006.{{cite news |last1=Dunehew |first1=Nick |title=Osman Kibar Biography |url=https://brooksysociety.com/2020/07/18/osman-kibar-biography/ |access-date=December 8, 2020 |work=Brooksy |date=July 18, 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kibar, Osman}}
Category:American billionaires
Category:American people of Turkish descent
Category:Robert College alumni
Category:Pomona College alumni
Category:University of California, San Diego alumni
Category:California Institute of Technology alumni
Category:Pomona College trustees