Michał Sołowow

Michał Sołowow
Michał Sołowow
Born	July 11, 1962 (age 64); Kielce, Poland
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, rally driver
Known for	Ownership of Synthos, Cersanit, Barlinek; rally driving achievements

Michał Sołowow (born 11 July 1962) is a Polish billionaire entrepreneur and rally driver. His industrial conglomerate encompasses 18 manufacturing facilities spread across eight nations, distributing products to more than 60 countries on six continents, and employing upwards of 16,000 people.

Previously one of the largest investors on the Polish stock market, he withdrew all his companies from the Warsaw Stock Exchange by 2018. Sołowow continues to be among Poland’s foremost private business figures and stands as the largest private investor internationally. He is the exclusive owner of Synthos (chemical sector), Cersanit (sanitary ceramics and tiles), and Barlinek (floorboard manufacturing). These three enterprises constitute the foundation of his investment group and principal holdings.

As of May 2025, Forbes valued his fortune at approximately US$13.5 billion, positioning him as the 184th richest individual worldwide.

Business empire

Sołowow pursued his studies at Kielce University of Technology. In the 1980s, he generated income through work in the West, which enabled him to launch Mitex, a construction company based in Kielce during the late 1980s—a period marked by emerging economic freedoms in communist Polish People's Republic. Following Poland’s political and economic reforms in the early 1990s, Mitex evolved into a leading regional construction enterprise. Subsequently, Sołowow became an active investor on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

He purchased stakes in the chemical firm Dwory (currently known as Synthos) and supported its growth by utilizing debt financing at favorable interest rates. His portfolio expanded into ceramic tiles, wooden flooring, real estate, cutting-edge technologies, and biotechnology. While stepping away from day-to-day management, he remains a proactive private equity investor.

In October 2019, Synthos Green Energy S.A., a subsidiary of Synthos Group, entered into an agreement with US-Japanese joint venture GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to investigate constructing a nuclear power plant in Poland employing small modular reactor (SMR) technology—specifically the BWRX-300 design—marking the first such initiative by a private Polish enterprise.

Sołowow oversees his assets through investment vehicles including Black Forest SICAV-SIF, FTF Columbus Fund, FTF Galleon, and Magellan Pro-Equity Fund I S.A. Additionally, he invests via IPOPEMA 112 FIZAN fund with holdings such as Genicore and OncoArendi Therapeutics.

Key enterprises predominantly or wholly owned by him include:

Synthos S.A. – among Poland’s top chemical manufacturers producing synthetic rubber, latex, styrene derivatives, and vinyl dispersions;
Cersanit S.A. – leading producer of sanitary ceramics and tiles in Poland; as of 2019 held a 35% domestic market share making it the largest in Poland and second largest in Europe with notable presence in Germany, Romania, and Ukraine; merged with Opoczno in 2007;
Barlinek S.A. – one of the globe’s foremost producers of natural wooden flooring; exports reach 75 countries across six continents; commanded 60% share of Poland’s floorboard market in 2012;
Komfort – retail chain specializing in carpets and floor coverings;
Homla – chain focused on interior decoration retail;
Nexterio – brand offering home décor products;
Corab – Poland’s leading manufacturer and distributor for photovoltaic energy systems;
WP Systems – provider of maintenance services for offshore wind farms;
Synthos Green Energy – division within Synthos Group dedicated to offshore wind, nuclear energy, and hydrogen projects;
New Era Materials – producer of composite materials based on epoxy resins;
3DGence – manufacturer specializing in 3D printing technology;
Genicore – producer of specialized ovens used for composite material fabrication;
OncoArendi – publicly traded R&D company developing pharmaceutical particles targeting inflammatory conditions and cancer therapies;
ExploRNA Therapeutics – research focused on mRNA modification technologies;
LifeFLow – R&D entity working on non-invasive coronary imaging solutions;
Tikrow – digital platform offering temporary employment services;
GETCAR – car leasing provider;
North Food – operator of restaurant chains within Poland and the UK including brands like North Food, John Burg, Veggie Hub;
Yamly – start-up engaged in production and distribution of plant-based food products.

Former investments divested include:

Max (food retail chain), founded in 1992 and sold to Dutch company Ahold in 1996;
NOMI, Poland’s inaugural DIY retail chain established in 1994 and sold to Kingfisher plc in 1999;
Minority stake in construction firm Exbud, sold to Swedish company Skanska in 2000;
Minority holding in medical dressing manufacturer Viscoplast, sold to 3M in 2001;
Construction and real estate developer Mitex, founded by Sołowow and sold to French group Eiffage in 2002;
Local newspapers Echo Dnia/Słowo Ludu, acquired during the 1990s and sold to Norwegian firm Orkla in 2005;
Corrugated packaging producer UltraPack S.A., acquired in 2003 then sold to British multinational Mondi in 2007;
Real estate development company Echo Investment, established in 1994 with shares later sold to Oaktree and PIMCO investors in 2015.

Rally career

Sołowow's passion for rally driving began during his teenage years. In 2001, with backing from his enterprises Synthos and Cersanit, he embarked on a professional rally driving journey while continuing to manage his business interests. Over the following years, he secured significant achievements including European vice-champion titles in 2008, 2009, and 2012; Polish vice-champion honors in 2006 and 2010; as well as second vice-champion distinctions in both Europe (2006, 2010) and Poland (2004, 2005). After taking a break from rallying in 2015, he made a comeback five years later in 2020.

WRC results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
2003	Cersanit Rally Team	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII	MON	SWE 43	TUR	NZL	ARG	GRE	CYP	GER 33	FIN	AUS	ITA	FRA	ESP	GBR			NC	0
2004	Cersanit Rally Team	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII	MON	SWE 30	MEX	NZL	CYP	GRE	TUR	ARG	FIN	GER	JPN	GBR	ITA	FRA	ESP	AUS	NC	0

Season ongoing.

PWRC results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	PWRC	Points
2007	Errani Team Group	Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000	SWE	MEX	ARG	GRE	NZL	JPN	IRE	GBR Ret	NC	0

Personal life

Sołowow resides in Masłów, located close to his native city Kielce within the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. His daughter, Karolina Sołowow (born in 1986), serves as the head of the charitable organization "Fabryki Marzeń" ("Factories of Dreams"), which is dedicated to assisting underprivileged young people.

Competition outcomes on ewrc-results.com