An oilman not of oil
A new biography of Calouste Gulbenkian portrays him as a formidable behind-the-scenes fixer, rather than a fuel fanatic
Calouste Gulbenkian was the then richest man in the world when he passed away in 1955 at the age of 88. But, while the man long dubbed ‘Mr Five Per Cent’ may have made his fortune in his share in a range of Middle East oil ventures, a new book suggests that the source of his wealth and influence was hardly his passion. Oil made Gulbenkian fabulously wealthy and hugely influential. As Jonathan Conlin points out in ‘Mr Five Per Cent: The many lives of Calouste Gulbenkian’*, the Turkish-born British Armenian was a key figure in the creation of international oil companies. His 1928 Red Line Agreement—signed by oil firms operating within a red circle on a map, drawn around the former boundaries
Also in this section
24 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment
23 December 2025
A third wave of LNG supply is coming, and with it a likely oversupply of the fuel by 2028
22 December 2025
Weakening climate resolve in the developed world and rapidly growing demand in developing countries means peak oil is still a long way away
