Andrej Babiš
A billionaire agrochemical tycoon who upended Czech politics with a populist, business-first message, becoming one of Europe's most controversial prime ministers.
Born 1954 (age 72)·Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (2017–2021; since 2025)·Birthday: September 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Andrej Babiš built a vast fortune through Agrofert, a sprawling conglomerate he founded after the fall of communism, becoming one of the Czech Republic's wealthiest men. His entry into politics was not born of ideology but of a CEO's impatience. Frustrated with government inefficiency, he launched the ANO party in 2011, branding it as a pragmatic, anti-corruption movement run like a corporation. The pitch resonated with voters tired of traditional parties, and he swiftly rose to power as finance minister and then prime minister. His tenure was defined by his business background, Euroscepticism, tight control of public finances, and relentless conflict-of-interest scandals, as he faced accusations of using state power to benefit his empire. After losing power in 2021, he mounted a combative comeback, returning as prime minister in 2025. Babiš remains a polarizing figure, seen by supporters as a capable manager and by critics as an oligarch who dangerously blurred the lines between private wealth and public office.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Andrej was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrej Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Andrej's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded and built Agrofert, one of the largest industrial and agricultural conglomerates in Central Europe.
- Founded the ANO 2011 political movement, which became a dominant force in Czech politics within a few years.
- Served as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2021 and again from 2025 onward.
- As Minister of Finance from 2014 to 2017, he maintained budget surpluses and pushed for digitalization of tax administration.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia before the Velvet Revolution.
He worked as a foreign trade representative for the state in Morocco in the 1980s.
In 2023, he was acquitted of fraud charges related to EU subsidy funds after a high-profile trial.
He owns a large forest estate and a historic chateau in the Czech countryside.
“I run the state like a business.”
