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Poland's richest man, Jan Kulczyk, dies at 65 in Vienna

Kulczyk's estimated net worth was close to $4 billion.

By Jared M. Feldschreiber
Jan Kulczyk, Poland's richest businessman, died Tuesday night from surgery complications. He made his great fortune during Poland's economic transformation. Photo courtesy of WikiCommons
Jan Kulczyk, Poland's richest businessman, died Tuesday night from surgery complications. He made his great fortune during Poland's economic transformation. Photo courtesy of WikiCommons

WARSAW, Poland, July 29 (UPI) -- Jan Kulczyk, Poland's richest businessman, died Tuesday night of complications following surgery. He was 65.

He made his great fortune during Poland's economic transformation that saw it become a free market.

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Kulczyk's estimated net worth was registered in February at $3.9 billion Forbes reported.

Key transactions included the purchase of minority stakes in the national telecom provider Telekomunikacja Polska SA, now Orange Polska; insurer Warta; and Tyskie brewery, The Wall Street Journal reported. He also had been a private investor in SABMiller PLC, the giant brewing company.

Kulczyk also invested in the energy and natural resources sectors in Europe and Africa, while also developing the car sector in Poland.

A noted philanthropist, Kulczyk's donation of 20 million zlotys ($5.3 million) helped finish the work on the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. He also sponsored grants for gifted young people, The New York Times reported.

"It will be hard to organize some things without him," Poland's former President Lech Walesa said.

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Divorced from his wife, Kulczyk is survived by a son and a daughter.

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