Who Is Bolat Nazarbayev’s Daughter Doing Business With — And What Does the “Beer King’s” Ex-Partner Have to Do With It?

In earlier articles, we reported that Gulmira Nazarbayeva—also known as Abisheva or Bayzakova, the daughter of Bolat Nazarbayev — is connected to numerous companies, including several that appear on Kazakhstan’s list of largest tax debtors.

In a pattern all too familiar within the Nazarbayev clan, many of these firms eventually become entangled in high-profile scandals or criminal investigations. 

Orda.kz explores the business ventures and partners of the brother of Elbasy’s daughter.

One curious detail about Gulmira Bolatovna is her choice of unusually diverse business partners. As previously reported, one of them was Najib Fayez, an Afghan student at Nazarbayev University who was at the center of a widely publicized and emotional story several years ago.

Her business ties get even more interesting. Take, for instance, the company “NAZ-G.B LLP” — its name alone makes the ownership fairly obvious.

The firm was registered in 2016 by Nursain Aidosovich Yespolov, son of Academician Tlektes Yespolov of the National Academy of Sciences. His daughter was reportedly in a relationship with Nursultan Nazarbayev and had two sons with him, as recounted in his published memoirs.

Nursain later joined the Nazarbayev inner circle — he even adopted Elbasy’s surname in 2022. 

Another name on the management roster was Madina Auezkyzy, about whom little verified information is available. She was later replaced by Ultusyn Barkhinova — a far more notable figure.

Barkhinova chairs the Local Trade Union “Ustaz” in the Almaty region. In 2023, her name surfaced during the parliamentary elections.

At the time, the Almaty regional court upheld the decision to reject journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim’s candidacy, citing violations of residency requirements. He had briefly traveled to Kyrgyzstan and hadn’t maintained permanent residency for eight consecutive months.

As chair of the local election commission, Barkhinova stated:

Despite his appeals, the journalist was barred from participating.

Eventually, Barkhinova stepped down from her post at NAZ-G.B, and Gulmira Bolatovna took over.

Another prominent company linked to Ms. Nazarbayeva is “GB TEAM.KZ” LLP.

Founded in 2019, the company originally listed Nurgali Dosanbayev as its first director and Altay Karabekov as its sole founder. Just days later, Gulmira Bolatovna joined as a co-founder.

The “Beer King’s” Former Partner

The name Nurgali Dosanbayev may sound familiar — he was involved in the criminal case surrounding Tokhtar Tuleshov, the so-called “beer king.” In an interview with Orda.kz, officers convicted in that case described Dosanbayev as Tuleshov’s “right hand.”

They claimed Dosanbayev acted as a go-between with the military in preparation for a 2015 event marking the 90th anniversary of Tuleshov’s father.

Allegedly, he delivered letters, handled negotiations, and became a key prosecution witness. The bribery charges against officers Zhumin and Pernebayev relied solely on his testimony. No cash or recordings were ever recovered, and Dosanbayev was never charged, remaining a witness, a detail that still raises questions.

Even after Tuleshov’s sentencing, Dosanbayev remained active, continuing to contest ownership of disputed assets and speaking to the media.

Tuleshov’s 99.62% stake in the Darkhan Group was transferred to the state. But Dosanbayev alleged that Tuleshov began reclaiming assets via proxies and court rulings. He claimed Tuleshov pressured him to hand over his shares to a frontman, used criminal connections, and benefited from court and government support.

According to Dosanbayev, properties like the Phosphornik Palace of Culture were passed to new owners through questionable legal maneuvers.

In one of his public appeals, Dosanbayev declared:

My heart bleeds because of the lawlessness that is happening. An important cultural facility has been abandoned, a profitable distribution company is being driven into bankruptcy, but at the same time, all the assets that were taken away are gradually being returned to a person convicted of attempting a coup. I cannot achieve justice in Shymkent, and I cannot reach Astana. Help me, Mr. President! 

Alongside his involvement in the Darkhan Group, Dosanbayev also appeared as a founder of the Tuleshov-affiliated public association UDEU-Orleu. One intriguing detail: his patronymic is Baizakovich — the same surname Gulmira Nazarbayeva occasionally used when registering businesses, appearing under the name Gulmira Baizakova.

A Maslikhat Deputy

Altai Karabekov, co-founder of GB TEAM.KZ, was elected as a deputy of the Jambyl Regional Maslikhat in December 2024. He won the by-election in single-mandate district No. 4, securing 8,614 votes — the highest among the three candidates.

Born in 1972 in South Kazakhstan, Karabekov graduated from the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the Hydromelioration College.

Since the late 1990s, he has been active in local business: first as a dealer for Shymkent Mai, later founding Zhambyl Design, Auyl-Bereke, and the Taraz Wholesale Distribution Center. He joined the AMANAT party in 2017.

Karabekov is the father of five and has received both state and regional honors.

Interestingly, in his election campaign materials, he listed all his business interests—except GB TEAM.KZ. Instead, he promised voters improved schools, better infrastructure, and support for local businesses.

Being among the people, I am familiar with the current problems that concern them. I fully understand my responsibility to the residents of the region and to the voters in my district. The promises made in my election platform will not be monitored by just one person, but closely watched by the largest political party in the country, AMANAT,Karabekov said. 

Back in 2017, Karabekov’s Auyl-Bereke market was at the center of a legal battle.

Nearly 600 entrepreneurs faced eviction after the local Akimat used a court decision to reclaim the land. The market’s management had already invested more than three billion tenge in the site and risked losing everything.

We invested more than three billion tenge. We took it from individuals, from our entrepreneurs. Some of it was borrowed from the bank. Then, when everything was already done here, they come and say: let’s take it,Karabekov told reporters at the time. 

A Kazakh-Azerbaijani Joint Venture

In 2018, a company named NAZ DRILLING was registered, specializing in geological exploration. Its director is Emil Azimov, while Gulmira Nazarbayeva once again appears as a co-founder.

There is no publicly available data about the company’s tax payments, making its commercial success difficult to assess.

Azimov, meanwhile, is facing financial difficulties. He owes nearly two million tenge to Bank CenterCredit and is currently barred from leaving Kazakhstan. His debts, though not as extensive as those linked to Nazarbayeva’s other ventures, remain unresolved.

Azimov is also a co-founder of the public association Shu District Azerbaijani Ethno-Cultural Center “Nizami”.

Previously, he served as the head of Ultra-Shu LLP, which conducted exploratory drilling. He managed this company together with his brothers, Azhdar and Zakir Azimov.

Original Author: Artem Volkov

Please refer to the original piece in Russian for accuracy.