Andrej Kiska
A Slovak entrepreneur who leveraged his philanthropic fame into an unlikely presidency, becoming a symbol of anti-corruption sentiment in Central Europe.
Born 1963 (age 63)·President of Slovakia from 2014 to 2019·Birthday: February 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Andrej Kiska's journey to the presidential palace in Bratislava was anything but conventional. He made his fortune in the post-communist boom, first with a successful credit and loan company, but it was his founding of the charity 'Dobrý anjel' (Good Angel) that transformed his public image. The foundation, providing direct financial aid to families battling cancer, made him one of Slovakia's most trusted and recognizable figures. Capitalizing on this reservoir of public goodwill and a deep-seated frustration with the political establishment, he entered the 2014 presidential race as a true political outsider. His defeat of incumbent Prime Minister Robert Fico was a shock, a victory for a platform built on moral integrity over political experience. His single term was marked by a consistent, if often diplomatically strained, emphasis on human rights and a pro-Western orientation, positioning himself as a critical check on the governing party. Choosing not to seek re-election, he left office as he entered it—an unpredictable force who demonstrated that in the 21st century, a brand built on charity could be a viable path to supreme political 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 1963, 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 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Andrej's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded the 'Dobrý anjel' (Good Angel) charitable foundation, which became one of Slovakia's largest and most respected private charities.
- Won the 2014 Slovak presidential election as an independent candidate, defeating the sitting Prime Minister.
- Served as the fourth President of Slovakia from 2014 to 2019, emphasizing anti-corruption and pro-European Union values.
- Authored two bestselling books on personal development and happiness, 'Ako sa stať dobrým človekom' (How to Become a Good Person) and 'Sila jednoduchosti' (The Power of Simplicity).
Did You Know?
He lived and worked in the United States for two years in the early 1990s, holding jobs including selling vacuum cleaners.
His charity 'Good Angel' has provided financial assistance to tens of thousands of Slovak families dealing with serious illness.
He declined a presidential salary during his term, donating it to charity instead.
After politics, he founded a civic movement called 'Za ľudí' (For the People), which later became a political party.
“I founded Good Angel to help families facing the financial hardship of illness.”
