From Kazphosphate to Jusan Mobile: How Akhmetzhan Yessimov and Galimzhan Yessenov Built a 500 Million Dollar Network

 

The secretive dealings between former Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Yessimov and billionaire Galimzhan Yessenov have uncovered previously unknown aspects of their history.

Today, a lot is written in the media about the former "relatives": Galimzhan Yessenov was married for over 13 years to one of Akhmetzhan Yessimov’s daughters (and Yessimov himself is a nephew of former Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev). During this time, it is claimed, he transformed from a financially struggling relative into a successful businessman, although rumors suggest he lost much after his divorce from Aizhan Yessimova.

However, if one examines Galimzhan Yessenov’s biography in detail, it becomes clear that he was never a poor "orphan of Kazan" or a destitute relative, as he was born into a wealthy and well-off family of academician Shakhmardan Yessenov, a doctor of geological and mineralogical sciences and president of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR.

During those years, Nursultan Nazarbayev was merely the secretary of the party organization at the Karaganda Metallurgical Plant.

However, the mystery surrounding the birth of the future billionaire Galimzhan Yessenov remains shrouded in secrecy: at birth, he received not only the surname of his academician grandfather but also his patronymic, even though his mother, Shagizat Shakhmardanovna Yessenova, already had another child—a older brother of Galimzhan, Yerzhan Nurgozhaev. Meanwhile, the academician’s daughter herself dove headfirst into business from a young age. She owned (and still owns) numerous "lucrative" companies, as well as expensive real estate in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera.

So, there was no mésalliance in Galimzhan Yessenov’s life: the grandson of academician Yessenov married the daughter of Almaty’s Akim (Mayor at the time) Akhmetzhan Yessimov. And they ended up in the same business (or rather, businesses) together.

Later, they found themselves embroiled in the same high-profile scandals!

Fiery Shagizat

It is known that in recent times, the Yessenovs and Yessimovs have been dividing their assets. And, apparently, they are still dividing some things.

But the situation with Galimzhan Yessenov’s business relatives is quite curious. All these years, while Galimzhan Yessenov "worked" side by side with his wife’s father, Akhmetzhan Yessimov, they kept a very low profile. They stayed out of the spotlight, despite consistently dealing with enormous financial flows.

The mother of billionaire Galimzhan Yessenov has had a dizzying career.

By the way, due to their shared patronymic, journalists mistakenly refer to Shagizat Shakhmardanovna Yessenova and Galimzhan Shakhmardanovich Yessenov as brother and sister, but they are actually mother and son.

Shagizat Yessenova was born on May 14, 1953: she is a representative of a well-known Kazakh family connected to major business and a scientific dynasty, the daughter of academician Shakhmardan Yessenov.

Today, she is registered as an individual entrepreneur (IE "Yessenova Shagizat Shakhmardanovna") in Almaty.

Due to her family ties with Galimzhan Yessenov, Ms. Yessenova is officially listed as an affiliated person in major financial structures such as Jusan Bank (formerly ATF Bank) and First Heartland, as well as the National Company "KazMunayGas."

Galimzhan Yessenov

And today, 72-year-old Shagizat Yessenova is a co-founder of two bakery enterprises.

pk.uchet.kz

Her business partners include Aizhan Yesim (the former wife of her son, Galimzhan Yessenov) and Olzhas Baimukhanov.

Mr. Baimukhanov once held the position of independent director at Neftebank, among whose shareholders was Galimzhan Yessenov.

Aizhan Yesim, former spouse of Galimzhan Yessenov

By the way, the Petropavlovsk Bakery Plant (PHBK) has paid taxes amounting to 1.5 billion tenge since 2015. The plant employs 213 people, with 17 land plots, 88 property objects, and 54 units of vehicles on its balance sheet.

The plant has a subsidiary company, "Mill PHBK."

The "Almatynan" Bakery Plant was part of the PHBK structure until 2024. The plant employs 186 people, with 2 land plots, 12 real estate objects, and 28 units of vehicles on its balance sheet.

However, Shagizat Yessenova’s own son has exited the bread business: he no longer owns either TOO "Sapa Nan" or the grain processing holding JFood Kazakhstan (formerly the "Tsena-Astyk" concern).

Additionally, since 2011, Ms. Yessenova, together with Galimzhan Yessenov’s brother Yerzhan Nurgozhaev, has owned property in France: a villa worth 6 million euros previously belonged to businessman Serzhan Zhumashov.

entreprises.lefigaro.fr

This estate is located in the commune of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

The Yessenovs’ villa on the French Riviera was worth 6 million euros

Galimzhan Yessenov’s older brother, Yerzhan Nurgozhaev, officially appears to have no business assets.

entreprises.lefigaro.fr

Mr. Nurgozhaev is registered as an individual entrepreneur and also engages in the rental and management of his own real estate.

TOO "Ornau Limited", BIN 121140019516 — information about the company: reviews, taxes, director, address, debts, etc. — fa-fa.ru

Since 2023, he has been working as the chief director for innovations and major projects at Jusan Mobile.

This company is part of the business portfolio of Galimzhan Yessenov’s brother.

Commotion Around the Shymbulak Mountain Resort

This close-knit family has also been noticed in the commotion surrounding the Shymbulak mountain resort.

Shymbulak Mountain Resort

The company Chimbulak Development was obligated to complete the construction of a gondola lift before the start of the Asian Games. The investor, Capital Partners, was falling behind schedule.

The progress of the construction was overseen by the Akim of Almaty (at the time), Akhmetzhan Yessimov. In March 2009, at a meeting of the organizing committee for the Games’ preparation, he made a decision to initiate preparatory procedures for returning the complex to state ownership.

The investor, Capital Partners, was given two weeks to rectify the situation.

"We’ve been waiting for over six months. There are less than two years left until the Asian Games. Next year, all work must be completed, and the facilities tested. All I hear are promises, and I see the risk of disrupting the Games. We need to start the bankruptcy procedure and return Shymbulak to the state," Yessimov stated at the time.

Akhmetzhan Yessimov as Akim

However, Capital Partners and its beneficiaries remained in control of the resort.

Investments were expected to amount to 1.37 billion dollars, but they were later reduced to 207 million dollars. The project’s creditors were "Kazkommertsbank" and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, each lending 100 million dollars to the project. However, Capital Partners was never registered in Kazakhstan.

In August 2011, the enterprise and its assets acquired new owners.

The shares were purchased by close relatives of Akhmetzhan Yessimov’s son-in-law, Galimzhan Yessenov. His mother and older brother, Yerzhan Nurgozhaev, acquired 100% of the capital. 99.9% was registered to Shagizat Yessenova, and 0.1% to Yerzhan Nurgozhaev.

For her share, Shagizat Yessenova paid 49,950 euros, while her son paid 50 euros.

In the fall of 2020, Shagizat Yessenova and Yerzhan Nurgozhaev took out another loan of 10 million euros at 1.21% interest.

They are required to repay 12,060,000 euros by October 23, 2031.

They have time!

And in the end, Galimzhan Yessenov became the owner of 30% of "Shymbulak."

Moreover, all of them—mother, two sons (under different surnames Yessenov and Nurgozhaev), and Nurgozhaev’s father, Kuanysh Nurgozhaev—are affiliated persons with the National Company "KazMunayGas."

kmgz_af_01 января_2024.pdf

kmgz_af_01 января_2024.pdf

For a time, a certain Aigelia Nurgozhaeva (née Murzabekova) was also associated with this close-knit family.

She is the former wife of Shagizat Yessenova’s eldest son, Yerzhan Nurgozhaev.

Aigelia Murzabekova-Nurgozhaeva

This young, charming woman has lived in Switzerland for many years and runs her own event agency.

Aigelia is the daughter of the scandalously famous Svetlana Murzabekova, who works as an assistant to Dinara Kulibayeva (daughter of Nursultan Nazarbayev). She also heads the Kazakhstan Project Management Association.

Svetlana Murzabekova has also gained notoriety for her controversial purchases on the French Riviera.

Her husband, Almaz Murzabekov, was the head of the representative office of the Russian transport company "UniTrans" in Kazakhstan.

The couple’s daughter, Aigelia Murzabekova, lives in Geneva on Avenue de Budé. Nearby is the Château de Bellerive, owned by Dinara and Timur Kulibayev.

Château de Bellerive

Such is the brotherhood of millionaires from Kazakhstan on the French Riviera and across Switzerland.

Assets for Dariga Nazarbayeva?

So, could Galimzhan Yessenov have been a "pawn" in Mr. Yessimov’s games?

After all, as the media reported, in the year of his marriage to Yessimov’s daughter, Galimzhan Yessenov acquired the company "Kazphosphate" for 120 million dollars. And the deal was allegedly financed by shell companies.

Galimzhan Yessenov even began to be characterized as a frontman for deals involving Kazakhstan’s elite.

Some journalists claimed that Yessenov might have held assets for Dariga Nazarbayeva.

Dariga Nazarbayeva

However, as described earlier, Galimzhan Yessenov has, above all, worked side by side with his closest relatives—his mother, older brother, and stepfather—for many years.

The number of his companies is simply staggering.

The private company JV Holding LTD, registered as a holding company in March 2024, belongs personally to Galimzhan Yessenov. It has one subsidiary—TOO Assets, Logistics & Property Group.

The group owns and manages assets worth 150 billion tenge: this includes the 5-star hotel Renaissance by Crystall in Atyrau, the Syganaq business center, the KORME furniture center, and the "Rakhmet" shopping center in Astana.

Renaissance by Crystall Hotel in Atyrau

He is also the owner of TOO "Astykzhan-Kostanay" and TOO "Astykzhan Trade Center"—a chain of six supermarkets in Astana and Kostanay.

Jusan Mobile JSC is a telecom operator providing mobile communication and internet access services.

Since August 2025, through TOO Unit Telecom, Jusan Mobile owns 51% of another major telecom operator, Transtelecom JSC.

This stake was acquired from Nurali Aliyev, grandson of Nursultan Nazarbayev (and son of Dariga Nazarbayeva).

Nurali Aliyev

Galimzhan Yessenov also held a stake in the mobile operator Kcell but sold it. This pertains to the private company KC Holding LTD.

Mr. Yessenov acquired Kcell shares in the summer of 2023 from Pioneer Technologies S.A.R.L (Luxembourg).

He also owns numerous agricultural enterprises: TOO "Agro Fit Kapshagay" is engaged in the production of feed for farm animals. The plant manages a land plot and 11 real estate objects.

OO "Trading House Alel" handles the wholesale distribution of products from Alel Agro JSC, a poultry meat production plant.

44% of the "Alel Agro" plant belongs to Yessenov.

TOO AmalBio specializes in growing and selling berries and fruits. This includes over 220 hectares of orchards, a processing line, and storage facilities in the Almaty region.

Galimzhan Yessenov

TOO Fresh Fruit Kazakhstan produces juices in the Almaty region. The enterprise has 3 land plots and 7 real estate objects on its balance sheet. TOO "Almaty Apples" is engaged in the rental and operation of real estate: the company has 7 land plots on its balance sheet.

Mr. Yessenov continues to be the sole owner of TOO Ornau Limited. The company is engaged in the rental and management of its own real estate.

Galimzhan Yessenov also solely owns the scientific and educational foundation Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation.

During his 13-year marriage, Galimzhan Yessenov—as reported by the media—became a successful businessman: his wealth is estimated at 500 million dollars.

Much of this success is tied to the political connections Yessenov established after becoming related to the Yessimov family.

But is that really the case?

Akhmetzhan Yessimov and Galimzhan Yessenov

After all, the family of academician Yessenov had their own very powerful connections.

However, it’s another matter that a scandal predictably erupted in Kazakhstan related to the embezzlement of funds from the state fund "Samruk-Kazyna" and ATF Bank. Both "relatives," Galimzhan Yessenov and Akhmetzhan Yessimov, were linked to these two entities.

Both institutions were used to siphon off billions, yet anti-corruption authorities have so far shown no interest in investigating the case concerning either Yessimov or his former son-in-law.

However, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has already expressed his intention to recover the stolen funds. And to hold the guilty parties—both Yessimov and Yessenov—accountable. But, it is said, neither of them is currently in Kazakhstan.

Are they in hiding?

Author: Maria Sharapova

Источник: https://polit-ru.com/component/k2/item/82605