The former financier Karim Massimov's partner, Aigul Nurieva, has been found to have foreign assets and a residence permit that could allow her to apply for US citizenship.
According to the Telegram channel Access to the Sea [Vykhod k moryu], citing leaked data from a database of Dubai property owners, Nurieva owns a two-level penthouse covering nearly 490 m² in the Al Dabas residential complex on Palm Jumeirah. The apartment has four bedrooms, several living rooms, seven bathrooms, a dining room, and a staff room. The current market value of similar properties reaches 14.5 million dirhams (approximately 2.2 billion tenge).
The same residential complex also contains a property previously owned by the family of former state secretary Kanat Saudabayev, though his apartment is significantly more modest. Palm Jumeirah is considered a residence for members of the Kazakh elite and their families.
Aigul Nurieva began her career in companies linked to the family of Nursultan Nazarbayev, but by the mid-2000s she had acquired stakes in Kazakhtelecom and Kazkommertsbank, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. At its peak, her capital approached $1 billion (542 billion tenge).
Despite being a major shareholder, Nurieva continued to work as an assistant to Karim Massimov — according to sources, she even oversaw the procurement of sports equipment for him.
Nurieva's name was mentioned in connection with the sale of Kazakhtelecom's stake in GSM Kazakhstan (Kcell brand) to the Swedish holding company TeliaSonera for $1.5 billion (812.9 billion tenge). Later, Kcell listed shares on the London Stock Exchange at a significantly lower valuation ($2 billion versus $3.1 billion), which, according to journalists, may have brought personal benefit to Massimov and his associates.
Subsequently, when Kazakhtelecom bought back Kcell shares, the company's value was estimated at $770 million (417.3 billion tenge).
It is also reported that Nurieva purchased property in the UK, France, and Hong Kong worth over $90 million (48.7 billion tenge), including under the surname of her ex-husband, Gafur Ikhsan.
In addition to Kazakh citizenship, Nurieva holds a Cyprus passport, UK residency, Hong Kong residency, and a residency permit for American Samoa.
The latter document is noted as particularly significant: it not only offers tax advantages but also opens the path to US citizenship, which could make her extradition to Kazakhstan impossible in the future.
It may be recalled that in April 2023, Karim Massimov was sentenced to 18 years in prison for treason, attempting a forcible seizure of power, abuse of power, and exceeding official authority.