Alexander Rovt

Alexander Rovt
Born	(1952-07-23) July 23, 1952 Mukachevo, Carpathia (now Ukraine)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, real estate investor
Known for	Fertilizer trading and production in the former Soviet Union; New York City real estate ownership

Alexander Rovt (originally named Sándor Róth, born July 23, 1952) is an American billionaire entrepreneur and real estate investor who amassed his wealth through fertilizer trading and production in the former Soviet Union. He identifies with Carpathian heritage.

Early life and education

Born into a devout Jewish family in Mukachevo, Carpathia, now within Ukraine's borders, Rovt's father operated a knitting factory while his mother was a homemaker. Growing up near the Hungarian frontier, he pursued business studies at the Lviv Academy of Commerce in Ukraine, where he earned a doctorate in international economics. His early career included managing a state-run vegetable distribution company in Hungary, but his entrepreneurial methods led to his arrest. In 1985, he and his wife emigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn where he engaged in family-run ventures such as a kosher delicatessen and a jewelry store.

Career

In 1988, Rovt became part of IBE Trade, established by Sheldon Silverston, which specialized in trading with governments lacking hard currency by accepting payment in commodities like steel and coffee. Utilizing his connections within the Eastern bloc and expertise in fertilizers, Rovt expanded IBE's presence into the Soviet Union, bartering goods for fertilizer—a plentiful resource thanks to abundant natural gas. After Perestroika, the barter system diminished, prompting Rovt and childhood associate Imre Pákh to purchase IBE from Silverston and convert it into a conventional fertilizer distributor. By 2000, they controlled approximately 85-90% of the fertilizer market across Russia and Ukraine.

In 1999, Rovt acquired an underperforming fertilizer plant in Bulgaria, committing $100 million to its refurbishment over five years. Due to losses incurred from purchasing natural gas at market prices, he sold a 25% share to energy magnate Igor Makarov, who provided discounted gas supplies, along with a 10% stake to local Bulgarian partners. However, these Bulgarian associates clandestinely transferred ownership offshore and seized control of the facility. After Pákh divested his IBE shares to Rovt following the murder of a partner, Rovt secured a favorable judgment from a U.S. court to regain control of the plant; nevertheless, this ruling was disregarded within Bulgaria.

Despite this challenge, Rovt expanded his portfolio by acquiring additional profitable fertilizer plants throughout the 2000s. Collaborating with Igor Olshansky and Norwegian company Yara International, he purchased a plant in Rossosh, Russia. In 2004, IBE acquired another facility in Severodonetsk, Ukraine, backed by a $120 million investment commitment. Following the Orange Revolution, Ukrainian courts annulled the sale; with assistance from the U.S. government, Rovt overturned this decision and resumed successful operations under official Ukrainian government approval.

In 2007, aiming to safeguard his assets, Rovt purchased the Bankers Trust Building from Joshua Zamir for $303 million in cash and divested his remaining fertilizer holdings overseas to Ukrainian billionaire Dmitry Firtash. Currently, he owns approximately 280 properties predominantly located in New York City.

Rovt maintains a conservative investment philosophy centered on long-term value preservation and refrains from deficit financing.

Public service and political contributions

Rovt has held the position of Vice Chairman on the New York City Board of Corrections and serves as a trustee for the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He leads the board of Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center and has financially supported the political campaigns of Andrew Cuomo and Anthony Weiner. Additionally, Rovt established an endowment for the Zvi Dov Roth Academy in Brooklyn, honoring his grandfather who perished during the Holocaust.

Together with his wife Olga, Rovt contributed the maximum allowed amount of $3,850 to Eric L. Adams's Brooklyn Borough President campaigns in both 2013 and 2017. While Rovt and his son Maxwell intend to back Adams' 2025 bid for mayoral reelection, he did not provide financial support for Adams' 2020 mayoral campaign.

Personal life

Rovt and his wife Olga live on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in a five-story, 12,000-square-foot home constructed with reinforced concrete, featuring brick exterior walls and retractable bulletproof window coverings. They have two sons: Philip (born 1978) and Maxwell (born 1987).

Distinctions

• Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th Class (awarded August 22, 2016)
• Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 4th Class (awarded August 23, 2019)