Sabri Ülker was born in 1920 in Crimea and had a difficult childhood after the Russian Revolution, which motivated his belief that all children deserve happiness. He and his family immigrated to Istanbul in 1929. After graduating university during World War II, Ülker and his brother established their own cookie workshop in 1944, which became the Ülker company. Ülker grew the company significantly, establishing factories around the world, and left it to future generations as a major food and beverage company upon his passing in 2012 at age 92.