Selçuk Bayraktar’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2024 | $1.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $1.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $2.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $2.7 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Selçuk Bayraktar’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Selçuk Bayraktar has an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Selçuk Bayraktar profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.2 billion in 2024.
Selçuk Bayraktar is a Turkish engineer, pilot, and businessman who leads Baykar as chairman and chief technology officer. He is known for designing the Bayraktar TB2, described as Turkey's first indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle, and Bayraktar Kızılelma, its first unmanned fighter jet. He returned to Turkey in 2007 and took a central role in Baykar's technology work. He also serves as founding chairman of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation and KÜME Foundation.
His wealth is tied to Baykar, the drone maker founded by his father Özdemir in 1984 and later co-owned with his brother Haluk. Forbes says Selçuk Bayraktar owns 52.5% of the company. Baykar first made parts for Turkey's auto industry, then moved into unmanned aircraft and military drone systems. The company's Bayraktar drone became its best-known export, and Baykar's business expanded through contracts with militaries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
How Selçuk Bayraktar built his fortune
Most of Selçuk Bayraktar's wealth comes from his stake in Baykar, the Turkish unmanned military drone manufacturer where he chairs the board and serves as chief technological officer. Forbes says he owns 52.5% of the company and co-owns it with his brother Haluk. Baykar began in 1984 making parts for the Turkish auto industry, but its business later centered on unmanned aircraft, including Bayraktar systems developed under Selçuk Bayraktar's leadership.
His public profile grew with Baykar's aircraft programs, especially the Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Kızılelma. The Bayraktar drone became the company's most famous export and was used by Ukrainian troops, becoming well known enough to inspire a folk song. Baykar's sales reached $1.9 billion in 2023, and its exports climbed to $1.8 billion in 2024 as military contracts spread across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
What Forbes says about his net worth
Forbes valued Selçuk Bayraktar at $1.2 billion on the World's Billionaires List in 2024. A year later, Forbes estimated his fortune at $1.8 billion. Those gains matched Baykar's stronger commercial results and wider overseas reach. The business had major sales in 2023, and export growth in 2024 pointed to a larger international market for the company's drone systems and related technology.
By 2026, Forbes put his fortune at $2.7 billion on the World's Billionaires List, and Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker also showed $2.7 billion as of October 20, 2026. The estimate reflects the value of his large ownership stake in Baykar and the company's expanding export business. Because Baykar is active in military drone technology, changes in contracts and demand can have a big effect on how Forbes values his holdings.
Career and money timeline
- 1984
Baykar was founded by his father Özdemir to make parts for Turkey's auto industry.
- 2007
He returned to Turkey and became Baykar's chief technology officer.
- 2021
He announced the Bayraktar TB3 in March 2021.
- 2022
Bayraktar Kızılelma completed its first flight on 14 December 2022.
- 2023
Baykar recorded sales of $1.9 billion in 2023.
- 2024
Baykar's exports rose to $1.8 billion in 2024.
Selçuk Bayraktar net worth FAQ
What is Selçuk Bayraktar's net worth?
Selçuk Bayraktar's net worth is an estimated $2.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Selçuk Bayraktar profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Selçuk Bayraktar get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Military drones.
Is Selçuk Bayraktar a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Selçuk Bayraktar is worth $2.7 billion.
How has Selçuk Bayraktar's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $1.2 billion (2024, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024). The latest is $2.7 billion (October 20, 2026).
What company is behind Selçuk Bayraktar's wealth?
Baykar is the main source of his wealth. Forbes says he owns 52.5% of the Turkish unmanned military drone manufacturer.
What is Selçuk Bayraktar best known for at Baykar?
He is known for leading drone development at Baykar, including the Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Kızılelma. He also serves as chairman and chief technological officer.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Selçuk Bayraktar profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Selçuk Bayraktar profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Selçuk Bayraktar profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Selçuk Bayraktar profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Selçuk Bayraktar (accessed October 21, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.