Kazakhstan has strengthened its position in the 2026 Forbes billionaires list. For the first time, two Kazakh entrepreneurs — Nurlan Smagulov and Aydin Rakhimbayev — have entered the global ranking of the world's wealthiest people, reports infohub.kz.
Both businessmen surpassed the $1 billion threshold required for inclusion in Forbes' global list. This year, the ranking features over 3,400 billionaires worldwide.
Nurlan Smagulov, founder and president of Astana Group holding, made his debut on the global list. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.3 billion, ranking him 2,858th. He started his business in 1992 by opening Astana Motors car dealership. Today, the company is an official dealer and distributor for over ten automotive brands and also manufactures passenger and commercial vehicles. Beyond automotive, Smagulov actively invests in commercial real estate; in 2006, he opened one of Kazakhstan's first modern shopping and entertainment centers, MEGA. In 2025, he completed another major project—the Almaty Museum of Arts, the country's first private contemporary art museum, with investments exceeding $120 million.
Another newcomer is Aydin Rakhimbayev, co-founder and majority shareholder of BI Group. Forbes puts his fortune at $1.1 billion, placing him 3,185th. BI Group was founded in the late 1980s and has grown into Kazakhstan's largest construction and development company. Today, the holding undertakes projects not only in Kazakhstan but also in Uzbekistan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan. Besides business, Rakhimbayev is a co-founder of the IQanat educational project, which has been studied by Harvard Business School.
Despite the new billionaires, the country's richest businessman remains Vyacheslav Kim, chairman of the board of Kaspi.kz. According to Forbes, his net worth reached $7.8 billion, ranking him 477th globally. A year ago, his wealth was estimated at about $7.1 billion. Second among Kazakh entrepreneurs is Vladimir Kim, whose fortune grew to $5.9 billion, placing him 712th. Next are Timur Kulibayev and Dinara Kulibayeva, each with around $5.4 billion, tied at 780th. Bulat Utemuratov increased his assets from $3.7 billion to $5.4 billion over the past year. A slight decline was recorded for Freedom Holding founder Timur Turlov: from $5.8 billion to $5.2 billion, ranking 823rd. Also on the list is Vyacheslav Kim's business partner Mikhail Lomtadze, with about $6 billion, but Forbes lists him as a Georgian entrepreneur.
Elon Musk once again tops the Forbes global ranking. The magazine estimates his fortune more than doubled to $839 billion. The top five also include Larry Page ($257 billion), Sergey Brin ($237 billion), Jeff Bezos ($224 billion), and Mark Zuckerberg ($222 billion).