From refugee to philanthropist: the story of Shefket Chapadzhiev
Few stories begin in a cattle car and end with ownership of one of the largest printing companies in the United States. Even fewer are those in which a person who grew up without a home or security donates millions to schools, churches, mosques, monuments, and social causes. The story of Shefket Chapadzhiev is precisely such a story.
It is not just a tale of the American dream. It is a story about the strength to start over, the freedom to determine your own destiny, and the responsibility to never forget those you leave behind.
The childhood that changes everything
Shefket Chapadzhiev was born in 1939 in Madan to a family of a small merchant. His father owned a shop and land – enough to be classified as having a „bourgeois background“ after the establishment of the communist regime in 1944.
This changes the lives of the entire family. One evening in 1949, armed soldiers appeared at their door.
„They arrived, soldiers with automatic weapons, knocking on the door... I was ten years old... they said – you have 15 minutes to take hand luggage for one or two days and leave. Where to? We don't know... They loaded us into cattle cars – no windows, no toilets. Absolutely the same as you see in movies about Jews – one to one,“ recalls Chapadzhiev.
There followed six years of forced settlement in the village of Borintsi in Northeastern Bulgaria. When the family received permission to return to Madan, their home was no longer theirs.
„Our house was the most beautiful. Who lived in it? The party secretary,“ he recounts.
For a child, this is the first lesson that freedom and home can be taken away overnight.
One book changes his life.
Even as a student, Shefket began to dream of America. Not because of the movies. Not because of wealth. But because of a book. „Aleko Konstantinov was the man who made me dream of Chicago. I read ‘To Chicago and Back’ and told myself – if he could get there, why couldn’t I one day?“
The dream quickly turns into a plan. Together with his friend Hamid Rusev, they make their first attempt to escape Bulgaria on New Year's Eve 1958. They do not succeed.
They were arrested and are meeting the New Year in police custody. Barracks follow, years of waiting and a new chance.
The escape
In 1963, the two set off for the border again. This time they knew they might never return.
„All the locals were armed. If they see me and don't turn me in, they'll be blamed later. People lived in fear. They watched each other,“ Chapadzhiev recalls.
After long hours of walking through the mountains, they reach the Greek border. There, fate presents them with another trial.
„The Greek border guards told us not to move. Then we understood why. By chance, we hadn't stepped on a mine,“ he recounts.
Following interrogations by U.S. authorities, which aimed to ascertain whether the two had been sent as communist agents, they were finally placed in a refugee camp.
They only ask them one thing: Where do you want to go? „Personally, I was for Chicago... The thought of how to get to Chicago never left me,“ he says.
The New World
When Shefket arrives in America, he has almost nothing. In his pocket, he carries only 75 cents. But for the first time in his life, he feels what freedom means.
„When I came to America, I couldn't believe there could be such democracy.“
Accustomed to living under surveillance, he continued to instinctively look around for a long time. „We were looking around to see if anyone was following us... we were so used to it.“
His first job is far from the idea of the American dream. He hands out oil samples and advertising materials on the streets of Chicago. Afterward, he works as a waiter.
Every dollar counts. „I opened a savings account with five dollars and thought I was already a millionaire,“ he recalls with a smile.
For someone who lost their home as a child, a first bank account means much more than just money. It means security. It means life can begin again.
America gives Shefket Chapadzhiev the freedom he dreamed of as a boy in the Rhodope Mountains. But freedom in itself does not guarantee success. It only provides opportunity. The rest depends on the person.
After the first years of hard physical labor, Chapadzhiev began to look for his own path. He worked as a waiter, distributed advertising samples, and saved every possible dollar. Until one day he decided he no longer wanted to work for someone else.
„As a worker, you'll never get rich. You have to start your own business,“ he says.
This decision changes his life. In the 70s, he takes out a $10,000 loan – a huge sum for someone who has almost no property. He pawns his cars, his insurance policy, and everything he owns.
„Ten thousand dollars is easy to say. I had only three thousand dollars. The bank took my car documents and insurance policy and gave me the loan. I went to California for two cars. The seller took pity on me and gave me the third one too. That's how I started,“ he recalls.
The three old bookbinding machines mark the beginning of Chap's Bindery Corp.
The first few months are tough. He rents a small space in a print shop, encloses it with a partition, prints business cards, and starts visiting potential clients.
„I printed flyers and went to all the printers. They told me: „We'll keep you in mind.“ But no one called.“
There follow weeks without work. Then comes the first big order. The company must fold seven million advertising letters in one weekend.
„We received nine thousand dollars. That was the first moment I realized we could succeed,“ Chapadzhiev recalls.
From then on, the business began to grow. It continuously invests in new technologies. It visits the largest printing exhibitions in Germany, England, and Switzerland, buys the most modern machines, and constantly expands production.
„For decades to come, I was always one step ahead of others. Not because I'm smarter, but because I was completely dedicated—with soul and heart—to the business.“
His company begins working with some of the largest American corporations – General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Sears, Montgomery Ward, and dozens of other national brands.
In its strongest years, the factory produced tens of millions of advertising materials daily and became one of the largest printing companies in the United States.
Just six years after starting his own business, Shefket Chapadzhiev earns his first million. To this day, however, he maintains that success has never been just about money.
„I didn't want to be rich. Money is a means. It gives me the ability to do what I want. So what if they say „he's rich“?“
His philosophy for business remains simple: „The most important thing is to find good people and pay them well.“
According to him, the true value of a company is not in its machinery but in the people who work for it.
Over the years, his success brought him recognition far beyond business. Chapadzhiev became an honorary citizen of the state of Illinois and his hometown of Madan. But the greatest satisfaction came not from awards, but from the opportunity to help.
Over the years, he has donated over $1.7 million to public causes in Bulgaria – the construction and restoration of churches and mosques, monuments, social institutions, schools, and cultural initiatives. He supports dozens of charitable campaigns both in Bulgaria and within the Bulgarian community in the United States.
For him, this is not charity. It is a duty. „I meet with the leaders of all parties. If I can be useful to Bulgaria - I help,“ he says.
Although he has lived in America for more than six decades, Bulgaria never ceases to be a part of his identity.
Today, when asked if he feels successful, his answer surprises. „No.“
After a short pause, he explains: „I didn't want to be rich... Money is a means.“
For him, success has no monetary dimension. It is measured by something else: „There's nothing better than being on time.“
These words probably best explain his life.
Shefket Chapadzhiev's story isn't just an example of someone who achieved the American Dream. It's the story of a boy who was kicked out of his home at the age of ten. Of a young man who risked his life to escape a dictatorship.
For a refugee who arrived in America with 75 cents in their pocket. For an entrepreneur who built a business, providing jobs for hundreds of people.
And for someone who never forgets where they came from and believes that true success only has meaning when it also helps others to start over.
That's precisely why his story isn't just a business story.
It's a story about belonging. About how a community can give a chance to a refugee. And how that refugee, decades later, gives back many times more to the society that has accepted him.
The photographs in the article are part of Mr. Shefket Chapadzhiev's personal archive.
