Idris Nechirvan Barzani: The Generous Millionaire and the Hundred Overseas Scholarships
Diyar Harki – Founder of KurdFile
During a live broadcast on Rudaw, Idris Barzani son of the Regional President and styled as the Architect of Kurdistan’s Reconstruction’ announced 40 scholarships for Kurdish students to pursue master’s degrees abroad. While any initiative to bolster Kurdistan’s scientific and academic infrastructure is inherently commendable, it is imperative to examine the context surrounding this gesture.
The average cost of studying abroad is estimated at $35,000. If students are sent to countries with moderate tuition fees, the total expenditure amounts to approximately $1.4 million. Including a minimum of $100,000 for administrative costs, the project’s total value nears $1.5 million.
This young figure is often portrayed as open-handed. However, records show that on 27 August 2017, in Beverly Hills one of the world’s most affluent districts he spent $375,000 on a single wristwatch. In local market terms, this equates to 37.5 ‘bundles’ (daftar) of USD.
Only a day prior, on 26 August 2017, at another boutique in the same area, he purchased a selection of apparel and sportswear valued at $28,863. On the receipts for these luxury purchases, he listed the address of a palatial residence presumably belonging to him or his father with a market value of approximately $6.5 million.
Furthermore, in 2020, this young individual abruptly acquired a 9.9% stake in the Kurdistan International Bank. Merely eighteen months later, he liquidated these shares for 39 billion Dinars equivalent to $35 million.
We must also recall his academic trajectory. Immediately upon graduating in 2019, and in defiance of all Higher Education regulations regarding university leadership, he was appointed President of the Board of Trustees at the University of Kurdistan (UKH) while still in his early youth. The official status of this institution whether public or private remains ambiguous to this day.
When combined with the multi-million-dollar funds provided by foreign nations and organisations for refugees and the impoverished via the Rwanga Foundation, a climate has been created where Idris can make unilateral decisions during a live broadcast that neither the Minister of Higher Education nor the Prime Minister would dare to initiate.
I possess documented evidence for all these claims: the exorbitant watches, the palatial estates, the multi-million-dollar banking transactions, and the irregular university appointments.
What I lack, however, is an explanation as to how a young man becomes a multi-millionaire while I, and hundreds of other youths, must live in constant anxiety over our daily bread.
Author Profile
- Diyar Harki is an independent investigative journalist and human rights advocate. As a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), he focuses on exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Kurdistan and Iraq. He voluntarily contributes to Kurdfile Media.
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