Early Life
Sebastian Tomasz Kulczyk was born on November 16, 1980, in Poznań, Poland. He is the son of Jan Kulczyk, who was once the wealthiest man in Poland, and Grażyna Kulczyk, an art collector. Sebastian attended Karol Marcinkowski High School No. 1 in Poznań and later studied management and marketing at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. He also studied at the London School of Economics.
Rise to Success
At age 19, Kulczyk began his entrepreneurial journey with an internet cafe network called e24.pl, but it was unsuccessful. He then founded GoldenSubmarine, an interactive marketing agency. He gained experience working for Lazard investment bank in London and in the digital media unit of Sony BMG in New York. In December 2013, he became the president of Kulczyk Investments, succeeding Dariusz Mioduski. He established Manta Ray VC, a venture capital fund investing in the new technology sector.
Key Business Strategies
Kulczyk's main source of wealth comes from diversified investments, primarily in the finance and investments industry. Through Kulczyk Investments, he has focused on building the value of companies with global potential. He also invested in Polish startups, including the InCredibles program and the Jutronauci project. Kulczyk took the chemical business Ciech private in 2024, renaming it Qemetica.
Philanthropy
Kulczyk is involved in philanthropy through the Kulczyk Foundation. He initiated several projects to support Polish startups, including the InCredibles accelerating program and the Jutronauci project. He is also the creator of the Pho3nix Foundation, which supports young athletes.