Ahmet Ertegün

Ahmet Ertegün — Biography

Ahmet Zahrettin Sebuhi Ertegün was born on 30 July 1923 in Istanbul, the son of Münir Ertegün. Raised largely in the Washington, D.C. area, he attended Landon School, St. John's College and Georgetown University, developing an early passion for jazz and blues records alongside his brother Nesuhi.

In 1947 he co-founded Atlantic Records with Herb Abramson, building the label into one of the defining forces of American popular music. He signed and championed artists ranging from jazz figures such as John Coltrane and Charles Mingus to R&B and rock acts including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and for a time wrote songs himself under the pen name "Nugetre." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, later serving as its chairman, and was recognized by the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2017.

Beyond the music business, Ertegün chaired the American Turkish Society for more than two decades and, together with Nesuhi, helped found the New York Cosmos soccer club. He died in New York on 14 December 2006; his wife Mica Ertegün passed away in 2023, and in early 2026 the couple's last American estate sold for $29 million, renewing public interest in their legacy.