Nemir Kirdar

Nemir Amin Kirdar
Born	(1936-10-28) October 28, 1936 Kirkuk, Iraq
Died	June 8, 2020(2020-06-08) (aged 83)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, financier, banker, writer
Known for	Founder and CEO of Investcorp

Nemir Amin Kirdar (28 October 1936 – 8 June 2020) was an Iraqi Turkmen entrepreneur, financier, billionaire, banker, and writer. As a trailblazer in private equity, he established and led Investcorp, a global alternative investment company with offices located in Manama, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, and Singapore. Kirdar spent a significant portion of his life based in London and held British nationality. He descended from the notable Turkmen Kirdar family of Kirkuk.

Early life

Kirdar was born in Kirkuk into a distinguished Turkmen family that played a significant role in late Ottoman and interwar Iraqi political affairs. He completed his primary education at Saadoun School in Baghdad and attended the Jesuit-run Baghdad College for secondary studies. Initially enrolling at Robert College in Istanbul to study engineering, he later shifted his focus to economics and liberal arts. With intentions to pursue a political career in Iraq, he relocated to the United States following the 1958 military coup that ended the monarchy. Having completed three years at Robert College, he sought to finalize his economics degree at an American university.

Career

Kirdar earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of the Pacific in 1960. His entry into finance began as a bank teller at First National Bank of Arizona. After initiating and selling several ventures in Iraq, he was unjustly imprisoned in 1969 due to a misunderstanding related to a U.S. company he represented, which led him to permanently resettle in the United States. Establishing himself in New York, he obtained an MBA through Fordham University’s evening program while working for Allied Bank International across Asia and Japan. In 1974, he joined Chase Manhattan Bank as vice president and subsequently oversaw its Middle East banking operations from 1976 until 1981.

In 1982, capitalizing on his extensive regional experience and recognizing emerging market opportunities, Kirdar founded Investcorp, focusing on global alternative investments including private equity, hedge funds, real estate, and technology sectors alongside capital growth within the GCC region. The firm served as a conduit connecting Gulf investors with Western markets. Kirdar held the position of CEO for over three decades until 2015 and continued as chairman until his retirement in 2017.

Death

He passed away at the age of 83 in 2020.

Wealth

At the time of his death, Kirdar's fortune was estimated to exceed US$1 billion. He was listed as number 206 on the British Rich List in 2005 and ranked 26th among the world’s most influential Arabs in 2009.

Academic awards

Kirdar was honored with honorary doctorates from Fordham University (New York), Georgetown University (Washington DC), University of the Pacific (California), and Richmond, The American International University in London.

He held an honorary fellowship at St Antony's College, Oxford; participated on the United Nations Investments Committee in New York; served as trustee for both the Brookings Institution and the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship; and provided advisory support to Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs. Additionally, Kirdar was among the founding members of the International Business Council at the World Economic Forum in Geneva and contributed expertise to advisory boards at Chatham House (UK), Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, and Silatech based in Doha, Qatar.

Publications

• Saving Iraq (2009)
• In Pursuit of Fulfilment (2012)
• Need, Respect, Trust: The Memoir of a Vision (2013)

Depictions in Film, Television, and Theatre

In the 2021 motion picture House of Gucci, the character of Kirdar was played by Youssef Kerkour.