Early Life
Entrepreneurial Activity
Goldovsky’s rise in the business world accelerated in 1990, when he co-established JV “Columbus”—the USSR’s first enterprise created with foreign capital. The joint project, launched in partnership with Bulgarian entrepreneur Lora Vidinlieva, became one of the leading exporters of woodworking products and leather-based goods. Following the company’s success, Goldovsky Yakov moved to Vienna in 1991, and Rosetto GmbH was established by him shortly after, in 1992. By collaborating with Rosneft and the Government of Kazakhstan, Rosetto achieved significant industrial performance between 1994 and 1997, processing about 6 million tons of crude oil annually.
Involvement in SIBUR
The year 1996 marked the creation of Gazoneftekhimicheskaya Kompaniya, a CJSC initiated by Goldovsky, alongside the establishment of Gazsibcontract, an OJSC. His influence expanded rapidly after 1998, when he entered the management structure of SIBUR following its privatization. He soon developed the Production and Technological Complex (PTC SIBUR), centralizing and optimizing operations. By 1999, he was recognized as the controlling figure behind SIBUR, having consolidated ownership stakes by 2001. Under his leadership, SIBUR evolved into Russia’s largest petrochemical holding, integrating tyre, plastic, and PET production facilities under a unified industrial system.
Leaving SIBUR
In 2000, Yakov Goldovsky spearheaded SIBUR’s IPO preparations and planned to issue bonds worth 2 billion rubles. However, strategic disagreements with Gazprom’s management forced him to transfer his controlling shares to the company. Thanks to pre-established legal safeguards, Goldovsky managed to retain a blocking shareholding, which allowed him to preserve part of his influence despite leaving the company’s top structure.
International Expansion
Post-SIBUR, Goldovsky turned his attention to the international market. He purchased several PET manufacturing plants across Europe and, in 2004, oversaw the construction of a major new production site in Klaipeda, Lithuania, with an annual capacity of approximately 330 thousand tons. That same year, he became the owner of the Korund chemical facility in Dzerzhinsk—a significant Russian manufacturer of plexiglass, cyanide compounds, and PVC pipes. By restructuring operations, restoring liquidity, and implementing modernization initiatives, Goldovsky Yakov brought Korund back to profitability and industrial stability.
RAFO Onesti Refinery
In 2006, Yakov Goldovsky expanded his portfolio by acquiring the RAFO Onesti refinery in Romania. He undertook repayment of the company’s inherited obligations amounting to 200 million euros, achieving short-term stabilization. Nevertheless, internal shareholder disputes and the eventual intervention by Romanian authorities led to a forced bankruptcy. The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) later found the Romanian state guilty of violating investment protection norms and mandated compensation in favor of Goldovsky.
United Petrochemical Company (UPC)
In 2011, Goldovsky co-founded the OJSC United Petrochemical Company together with ANC Bashneft and AFK Sistema. The project’s vision was to establish a vertically integrated petrochemical complex combining Bashneft’s assets in Bashkiria with Goldovsky’s facilities in Dzerzhinsk. The joint venture attracted an investment volume exceeding 5 billion dollars. However, a dispute regarding privatization legality emerged in 2014, suspending the project’s progress.
Current Projects
Currently, Goldovsky Yakov is directing his attention toward developing cyanide production for gold-mining industries in the MENA region. His most ambitious initiative to date is the construction of a large sodium cyanide plant in Alexandria. The project, implemented jointly with the Czech company Draslovka Holding, is already in its initial investment phase, totaling 160 million euros. Yakov Goldovsky has no business connections with Russian Federation affiliates at present.