Lyonel Makzume (1923 - 1995) was a Turkish businessman of Christian Arab descent and one of the country's top taxpayers.
[1][2] His business rapidly grew, so that in 1983, he surpassed Şarık Tara and Vehbi Koç to become Turkey's highest individual taxpayer.
The school was funded through the İstiklal Makzume Foundation that he created.
[1] Makzume spoke six languages—Turkish, Arabic, English, Italian, Spanish and German—and considered this ability a major factor in his business success.
[2] He was the grandfather of singer Jehan Barbur, who has described him as a significant influence on her worldview.