UPDATE 2-Poland's richest man, Jan Kulczyk, dies at 65

(Adds details, Walesa comments)
WARSAW, July 29 (Reuters) - Poland's richest man, Jan
Kulczyk, died in Vienna on Tuesday from complications after
surgery, a spokeswoman at Kulczyk Holding, the company he
founded, said. He was 65.
Kulczyk had for years topped the list of Poland's richest
people, with Forbes Magazine estimating his assets this year at
more than 15 billion zlotys ($4.01 billion).
His business interests covered a range of industries, with a
3 percent stake in brewing company SABMiller SAB.L his most
valuable asset.
A source said that Kulczyk's death was unexpected and the
result of a routine medical treatment.
Kulczyk Holding spokeswoman, Marta Wysocka declined to
comment beyond saying he had died as a result of surgery
complications in Vienna.
Kulczyk, who had a doctorate in international law, took his
first steps in business by setting up a trading company in 1981
known as Interkulpol. A few years later he became the first
official Volkswagen (XETRA:VOWG) dealer in Poland.
Kulczyk held a significant stake in Poland's biggest telecom
operator TPSA, now known as Orange Polska OPL.WA , after he
bought shares in the company's privatisation in 2000.
He was also a shareholder in Poland's biggest oil refiner
PKN Orlen PKN.WA .
Kulczyk's current assets include chemicals group Ciech
CIEP.WA , energy companies Polenergia PEPP.WA and Serinus
Energy SEN.TO and a number of international oil and gas
businesses.
Since the start of this year, Kulczyk had sold stakes in
some of his biggest ventures, including Ophir Energy OPHR.L
and Polenergia, raising questions about his future plans.
ID:nL5N0XR49M ID:nW8N0XX01P
Lech Walesa, Poland's former president, said Kulczyk had
played a important role in the country's development.
"He was so absorbed by work that he did not notice that his
health was deteriorating. This is a pity," Walesa, commenting on
Kulczyk's death, told public broadcaster TVP Info.
Kulczyk has two children from his first marriage, Dominika
and Sebastian. Sebastian has been supervising the family's
business since the end of 2013 when he took up the position of
chief executive at Kulczyk Investments, which holds Kulczyk's
major assets.
Kulczyk divided his time between Warsaw, London and
Luxembourg and spent much of his time traveling, a person who
knew the businessman said.
($1 = 3.7409 zlotys)