Konstantin Nikolaev

Konstantin Nikolaev (Russian: Константин Юрьевич Николаев; born March 5, 1971 Dniepropetrovsk) is a billionaire Russian businessman who is a co-owner of N-Trans and Globaltrans, the largest private rail operator in Russia, CIS, and the Baltic states.[1][2] He is a major investor in American Ethane and serves on its board. Late July 2018, his net worth was estimated at $1.2 billion.[3] He allegedly is a financial supporter of Maria Butina.[4][5][6] Through Igor Levitin, Alexey Mordashov, Arkady Rotenberg, Gennady Timchenko, and Alexander Voloshin, Konstantin Nikolaev is a partner and close associate of numerous persons in Vladimir Putin's inner circle.[7][8]

In 1996, Nikolaev, Nikita Mishin, Andrei Filatov, and Alexey Mordashov formed Severstaltrans (Russian: "Северстальтранс") with Mordashov holding a 50% stake and the other three holding equal stakes of the remaining shares.[9][10][11] In 1996, Igor Levitin became an employee of Severstaltrans and was the deputy director for transport engineering, rail transport and the operation of seaports from 1998 to 2004.[12][13] In early 2008, Mordashov sold his 50% stake in Severstaltrans to Nikolaev, Mishin, and Filatov and then Severstaltrans changed its name to N-Trans (Russian: "Н-Транс").[9][11][14] In 2008, 70% of Globaltrans shares were held by N-Trans.[14] In 2008, 30% of the shares of Cypriot-based Globaltrans Investments Plc were offered as an IPO in July 2012 in London for $520 million.[14][15]

While he was the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation from May 20, 2004 to 2012, Igor Levitin ensured in 2010 that Mostotrest would construct the toll roads for the Russian federal highway network.[12][13] According to Finance Magazine (Russian: Журнал «Финанс») in February 2011, Nikolaev as co-owner of the N-Trans holding group was ranked 117 richest Russian with an estimated worth of $920 million which was nearly identical to his business partners Nikita Mishin ranked 116th worth an estimated $920 million and Andrey Filatov ranked 118th worth an estimated $920 million.[16] In 2010, they each had an estimated worth of $690 million according to Finance magazine.[17]

Late in 2011, Nikolaev and Mishin sold to Gennady Timchenko their 13% stake for $150–200 million in Transoil, which is one of the largest railway transporters of oil and oil products in Russia.[18][19]

In 2014, Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, Andrey Kunatbaev, Roman Abramovich, Alexander Abramov, and Alexander Voloshin became the majority investors in John Houghtaling II's American Ethane.[20][21] After Roman Abramov divested his investment in American Ethane in April 2017, Nikolaev, Yuriev, and Kunatbaev became co-owners of American Ethane with a combined stake of 88%.[20][21][22][lower-alpha 1]

Before October 2014, Nikolaev and his investment partners owned a combined 31.55% stake and Arkady Rotenberg held the other 68.45% stake in Marc O'Polo Investments which held a 38.63% stake in the major road construction firm Mostotrest (Russian: "Мостотрест"), but, in October 2014 after Rotenberg fell under international sanctions because of the Russian interference in Ukraine and Russian annexation of Crimea, Rotenberg transferred his stake to his son Igor.[3] In April 2015, Marc O'Polo investments sold its stake in Mostotrest to NPF Blagosostoyanie (Russian: НПФ "Благосостояние").[3]

Nikolaev, Mishin, and Filatov own 34.5% of Globaltrans (an 11.5% stake for each) but sold the stevedore and ports holding company assets, Global Ports, in December 2017.[3][23] Sergey Shishkarev's Delo Group purchased the stakes of Nikolaev, Mishin, and Filatov in Global Ports which includes the management of the ports at the First Container Terminal, Petrolesport, Ust-Luga Container Terminal, and the Moby Dick in northwestern Russia; Eastern Stevedoring Company in the Far East; and two in Finland: the Multi-Link Helsinki and the Multi-Link Kotka.[24][25]

Personal life

He is married to Svetlana Nikolaeva and they have a son Andrey.[26]

His wife Svetlana Nikolaeva owns ORSIS, a Russian firearms company that supplies sniper rifles to the Russian National Guard which protects Vladimir Putin.[27] Konstantin Nikoleav was an investor in his wife's company.[27]

His son Andrey Nikolaev (Russian: Андрей Константинович Николаев) lives in the United States as a student and was a volunteer at Donald Trump's headquarters during his Presidential Campaign in 2016.[26][28][29][30]

Notes
  1. Alexander Voloshin is a secret investor in the remaining 12% stake.[20]

References
  1. "The Washington Post: Марии Бутиной оказывал финансовую поддержку российский миллиардер" [The Washington Post: Maria Butina was financially supported by the Russian billionaire]. Meduza (in Russian). July 22, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  2. "Константин Николаев – украшение коллекции мужчин Марии Бутиной" [Konstantin Nikolaev – Maria Butina's most prized decoration] (in Russian). July 24, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  3. Пастушин, Алексей (Pastushin, Alexey) (July 23, 2018). "Партнер друзей Путина: чем известен спонсор "русской шпионки" Бутиной" [Partner of Putin's friends: what is known for the sponsor of the "Russian spy" Butina]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  4. Helderman, Rosalind S. (July 22, 2018). "Russian billionaire with U.S. investments backed alleged agent Maria Butina, according to a person familiar with her Senate testimony". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018.
  5. Watkins, Eli; Herb, Jeremy (July 23, 2018). "Alleged spy told Senate panel about backing from Russian billionaire". CNN. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  6. Swaine, Jon (July 26, 2018). "Maria Butina: ties emerge between NRA, alleged spy and Russian billionaire: Senior NRA figures met with the wife of Konstantin Nikolaev, who allegedly gave financial support to Butina". The Guardian. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  7. Добровольская, Лили (Центр "ТИ – Р"); Хаммер, Дэвид (WWLTV Channel 4) (August 2, 2018). "Как лоббировали газовый бизнес Александра Волошина в Луизиане и Техасе" [How did the lobbying occur for the gas business of Alexander Voloshin in Louisiana and Texas]. Transparency International – Russia: Russians in America (in Russian). Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  8. "Константин Николаев – украшение коллекции мужчин Марии Бутиной" [Konstantin Nikolaev – the decoration of the collection of men by Maria Butina]. Руспрес (in Russian). July 24, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  9. Amos, Howard (March 30, 2012). "Q&A: Chess Not Just a Game for Infrastructure Oligarch". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  10. "Никита Мишин" [Nikita Mishin]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  11. "Н-Транс" [N-Trans]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  12. Сагдиев, Ринат (Sagdiev, Rinat) (September 20, 2010). "Платные дороги в России строят только знакомые Владимира Путина: Через несколько лет в России появятся две первые платные дороги. Обе идут из Москвы и строятся фактически на государственные деньги. За обеими стоят петербургские знакомые Владимира Путина: Юрий Ковальчук и Аркадий Ротенберг" [Only Putin's friends build toll roads in Russia: In a few years, the first two toll roads will appear in Russia. Both come from Moscow and are actually built on public money. Behind both are Vladimir Putin’s Saint Petersburg acquaintances: Yuri Kovalchuk and Arkady Rotenberg]. Vedomosti (in Russian). Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  13. "Левитин, Игорь Евгеньевич" [Levitin, Igor Yevgenyevich]. kremlin.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  14. Мироненко, Петр Ъ (Mironenko, Peter B) (April 7, 2008). "Железная дорога на биржу: Globaltrans планирует IPO в Лондоне" [Railway to stock exchange: Globaltrans Plans London IPO]. Kommersant (in Russian). Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  15. Генкель, Ангелика (Henkel, Angelika) (October 2, 2012). "Новые IPO – приоритет у государства" [New IPO – a priority from the state]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  16. Рейтинг российских миллиардеров 2011 [Rating of Russian billionaires 2011]. № 5 (384) (in Russian). Журнал Финанс (Finance magazine). February 14, 2011. Archived from the original on February 16, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  17. Рейтинг российских миллиардеров 2010 [Rating of Russian billionaires 2010] (in Russian). Журнал Финанс (Finance magazine). February 2010. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  18. "Геннадий Тимченко нашел партнеров на дороге: Совладельцами "Трансойла" станут Искандар Махмудов и Андрей Бокарев" [Gennady Timchenko found partners on the road: Co-owners of Transoil will be Iskandar Makhmudov and Andrei Bokarev]. Kommersant (in Russian). December 26, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  19. "Совладельцами Тимченко в "Трансойле" станут Махмудов и Бокарев: они покупают 13% компании" [Makhmudov and Bokarev will become co-owners of Timchenko in Transoil: they buy 13% of the company]. Gazeta.ru (in Russian). December 26, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  20. Harding, Luke (July 10, 2018). "Former Putin adviser has secret investment in US energy firm praised by Trump: Alexander Voloshin has undisclosed stake in American Ethane – which has been hailed by Donald Trump". The Guardian. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  21. Hammer, David (July 12, 2018). "New Orleans gas exporter's partners include ex-Putin aide: But John Houghtaling's recent megadeal with China does not appear to help the Russian leader's interests". 4WWL. New Orleans. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  22. Soraghan, Mike (August 1, 2018). "U.S. ethane exporter linked to Russian owners and spy case". E&E News. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  23. "Представитель бизнесмена Николаева рассказал о финансовой поддержке Бутиной" [The representative of the businessman Nikolaev told about the financial support of Butina] (in Russian). July 24, 2018.
  24. "Группа «Дело» купила Global Ports: «Н-Транс» вышел из портового холдинга" [Delo Group Bought Global Ports: N-Trans has left port holding]. Kommersant (in Russian). December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  25. Global Ports, rucompromat.com, in Russian. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  26. "Задержанную в США шпионку финансировал миллиардер из России" [The spy detained in the USA was financed by a billionaire from Russia]. Liga Novosti (in Russian). July 22, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  27. McIntire, Mike (September 21, 2018). "Billionaire Backer of Maria Butina Had Russian Security Ties". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  28. Helderman, Rosalind S. (July 22, 2018). "Russian billionaire with U.S. investments backed alleged agent Maria Butina, according to a person familiar with her Senate testimony". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  29. Watkins, Eli; Herb, Jeremy (July 22, 2018). "Alleged spy told Senate panel about backing from Russian billionaire". CNN. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  30. "Константин Николаев – марионетка Игоря Левитина" [Konstantin Nikolaev – Igor Levitin's puppet]. RosPres.com (in Russian). July 26, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
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