Nihat Özdemir Net Worth

Nihat Özdemir has an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Nihat Özdemir profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $2.3 billion.

Nihat Özdemir is a Turkish businessman best known for Limak Holding, which he launched with Sezai Bacaksız in 1976. Before business became his main focus, he worked at what is now Gazi University. For a short period, he was an assistant to Necmettin Erbakan. He later served on the faculty of the Engineering and Architecture department until 1980. He also held senior roles in Turkish football, including work with Fenerbahçe SK and the Turkish Football Federation.

His fortune is tied to Limak’s broad business base. Özdemir focused on cement and energy, while Sezai Bacaksız focused on airports and tourism. The group expanded from construction into energy, tourism, transportation, and cement, and it became a contractor on major infrastructure projects. Limak is also part of the consortium building Istanbul’s new airport. Forbes currently estimates Özdemir’s wealth at $1.7 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026.

How Nihat Özdemir built his wealth

Özdemir’s wealth comes from a diversified business built through Limak. He and Sezai Bacaksız founded Limak Construction in 1976 after meeting as students at Gazi University. Over time, the company expanded well beyond contracting and added operations in energy, tourism, transportation, and cement. Within that structure, Özdemir concentrated on cement and energy. That gave his business interests a wide base across different sectors instead of depending on only construction work.

Scale has been a major part of Limak’s growth. The company has worked on some of the world’s largest infrastructure projects and is part of the consortium building Istanbul’s new airport. When all phases are complete, Forbes says it will be the world’s largest based on passenger capacity. Limak is also a major builder and operator of hydroelectric power plants. Outside Turkey, the group operates in Kuwait, Egypt, Kosovo, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Africa, Pakistan, Ukraine, and Russia.

Forbes net worth history

Forbes has followed Özdemir’s fortune across several annual billionaire rankings. It placed him at $1.7 billion in 2019 and 2020, then at $2.3 billion in 2021. The estimate later moved to $1.9 billion in 2022, $1.8 billion in 2023, $1.9 billion in 2024 and 2025, and $2 billion in 2026. Those changes match a fortune tied to a diversified group with interests in construction, energy, tourism, transportation, and cement.

The latest reading is lower than the 2026 annual list figure. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker estimated Özdemir’s wealth at $1.7 billion. That gap shows how real-time values can differ from the yearly billionaire list. Even with those moves, the core source of his wealth has stayed the same: Limak’s spread across large infrastructure work, hydroelectric power, cement, transportation, tourism, and international operations.