Michał Sołowow
Michał Sołowow (born July 11, 1962 in Kielce) is a Polish billionaire businessman and rally driver. His industrial group has 18 production plants in 8 countries and sells products in more than 60 countries on six continents and has over 16,000 employees. His wealth is estimated at approx. 15,509 bn złoty (in 2021) making him the wealthiest person in Poland for fourth consecutive year (15,6 bn złoty in 2020, 13,3 bn złoty in 2019, and 11,41 bn złoty in 2018). He was one of the biggest Polish stock exchange investors (by 2017 he delisted all his major companies  from Warsaw Stock Exchange) but remains one of country's top private entrepreneurs and the largest Polish private investor abroad. He is the sole shareholder of the following companies: Synthos (chemical industry), Cersanit (sanitary ceramics and tiles) and Barlinek (producer of floorboards). The three companies remain at the core of Sołowow's capital group and are his main assets. In 2021, "Forbes" estimated his net worth at 3,9 bn USD making him 494th wealthiest person in the world. Business empire. Sołowow studied at Kielce University of Technology. In 1980s he earned money working in the West, so he was able  to create Mitex construction enterprise in late 1980s in Kielce, when freedom of business was announced in still communist Polish People's Republic. After political and economical transformation in early 1990s, Mitex became one of bigger companies on regional construction market. Sołowow then became an active Warsaw Stock Exchange investor. Sołowow bought shares in the chemical company "Dwory" (now "Synthos") and funded its expansion with debt, taking advantage of low interest rates at the time. He then diversified into ceramic tiles, wood floors, real estate, new technologies and biotechnology sector. He gave up any direct management roles but is still  an active investor (mostly on the private equity market). In October 2019, Synthos Green Energy S.A., a Synthos Group company, entered into an agreement with US-Japanese GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy for cooperation in the potential construction of a nuclear power plant in Poland based on small modular reactors (SMR) BWRX-300 technology. This is the first agreement of this type concluded by a Polish private company. Sołowow manages his assets through several funds including: Black Forest SICAV-SIF fund, FTF Columbus Fund, FTF Galleon, Magellan Pro-Equity Fund I S.A. Sołowow also makes investments via IPOPEMA 112 FIZAN fund (e.g.  Genicore, OncoArendi Therapeutics). He is sole or key shareholder of the following companies: Sołowow's closed investments include: Rally career. Sołowow was interested in amateur rally driving as a teenager. In 2001, thanks to sponsorship of his companies Synthos and Cersanit, he started professional rally career, aside from his business activities. After several years of training and starts, he began to obtain good results. He was the European vice-champion (2008, 2009, 2012), the vice-champion of Poland (2006, 2010), the European second vice-champion (2006, 2010), and second vice-champion of Poland (2004, 2005). He suspended his career in  2015 and resumed it in 2020. Personal life. Sołowow owns a residence in Masłów, a village on the borders of his hometown Kielce in Świętokrzyskie voivodship. His daughter, Karolina Sołowow (b. 1986), runs a charitable foundation "Fabryki Marzeń" ("Factories of Dreams") supporting disadvantaged youth.