Stefan Soloviev | $1B+
Get in touch with Stefan Soloviev | Stefan Soloviev is the chairman of the Soloviev Group, a vast conglomerate that encompasses real estate, agriculture, and transportation. After inheriting the legendary New York City real estate portfolio of his father, Sheldon Solow, Soloviev has significantly diversified the family’s holdings, becoming one of the largest landowners in the United States. His agricultural arm, Crossroads Agriculture, operates millions of acres of farmland and ranchland across the Great Plains, while his investments in the Colorado Pacific Railroad have revitalized critical freight infrastructure. Soloviev’s leadership is defined by a bold, hands-on approach to land stewardship and a strategic expansion into renewable energy and large-scale urban development.
Stefan Quinn Soloviev (born May 1975) is an American businessman and the chairman of the Soloviev Group, a diversified conglomerate with major operations in agriculture, ranching, real estate, railroads, energy, and hospitality.[1][2][3]
As the son of prominent New York real estate developer Sheldon Solow, who died in 2020, Soloviev inherited and expanded the family's business interests, reclaiming the Russian surname Soloviev at age 22 after initially using Solow.[4] He began his career managing properties for the Solow Building Company, including residential buildings and garages in New York City, before founding Crossroads Agriculture in 1999 as a farming and commodity trading operation based in Kansas.[2][4]
Under Soloviev's leadership, the Soloviev Group has grown into one of the largest private landowners in the United States, with over 617,000 acres of farmland and ranchland across Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico as of 2024, primarily through Crossroads Agriculture, which produces millions of bushels of wheat, milo, and corn annually.[1][2] The company also operates Weskan Grain, a major bulk grain storage facility with a capacity of 15 million bushels, and has ventured into renewable energy by leasing land for wind turbines, including the largest such deal in the U.S. in 2023.[1] In transportation, Soloviev acquired the Colorado Pacific Railroad in 2018 (120 miles) and the Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad in 2023 (150 miles), and the San Luis Central Railroad in 2024 (13 miles), revitalizing track to improve shipping for farmers.[4][1][5]
Soloviev's real estate portfolio includes high-profile New York properties, such as the 1.6 million-square-foot office tower at 9 West 57th Street, where he increased occupancy from 65% to 97% through $45 million in investments, and a 6.7-acre site near the United Nations, previously proposed for a casino and hotel development.[4] He sold several residential towers in 2022 for $1.75 billion to cover estate taxes following his father's death.[4] Additionally, Soloviev serves as the principal of the Soloviev Foundation, which supports initiatives in youth development, the arts, and homelessness, particularly in Sacramento, California.[2] His business philosophy emphasizes sustainability, innovation in agriculture—such as drought-tolerant crops—and learning from challenges to drive long-term growth.[1][4][6]
Early life and education
Family background
Stefan Soloviev was born Stefan Quinn Solow on May 21, 1975, in New York City, United States.[3][7]
He is the son of Sheldon Solow, a prominent New York real estate developer who built a multibillion-dollar empire through commercial properties like 9 West 57th Street, and Mia Fonssagrives-Solow, a Swedish-American sculptor, jewelry designer, and fashion figure whose mother, Lisa Fonssagrives, was a renowned model.[8][7] Sheldon Solow's entrepreneurial success in real estate provided an early immersion in business principles for his family, emphasizing deal-making, property development, and long-term wealth building.[8][9]
Soloviev has one younger brother, Nikolai Solow, and the family dynamics revolved around the high-stakes world of New York real estate, where discussions of investments, legal battles, and urban development were commonplace, fostering an early awareness of entrepreneurial risks and rewards among the siblings.[7][10] In 1997, at age 22, Soloviev legally changed his surname from Solow to Soloviev, reclaiming the original Russian spelling used by his paternal grandfather, Isaac Soloviev, before Ellis Island immigration alterations; this shift symbolized a reconnection to his Russian heritage and a deliberate embrace of family identity beyond the Americanized version.[4][10][11]
This familial foundation in business and heritage influenced Soloviev's later pursuits, including his brief time at the University of Rhode Island before entering the professional world.[8]
Childhood and early influences
Stefan Soloviev was born in the early 1970s in New York City to Sheldon Solow, a prominent real estate developer, and Mia Fonssagrives-Solow, an artist, growing up in a wealthy Manhattan environment that exposed him to business operations from a young age.[3][8] As the eldest son, he began contributing to his father's company during high school by parking cars in the afternoons, providing hands-on insight into real estate management and entrepreneurial dynamics.[12] This early involvement, combined with his family's legacy in property development, instilled a foundational understanding of commerce and risk-taking.[12]
At age 12, Soloviev demonstrated an precocious interest in entrepreneurship by investing in stocks and futures markets, honing skills in financial speculation independently.[12] These activities, conducted amid the urban backdrop of Manhattan, sparked his broader curiosity about commodities trading, which later pivoted toward agriculture. A pivotal shift occurred in his early 20s following a rift with his father at age 21, prompting him to relocate to Phoenix, Arizona, with his then-18-year-old wife to pursue independent ventures in trading oil, metals, currencies, and eventually grains.[3][12] This move marked his first direct exposure to agricultural markets, as trading grain contracts ignited a fascination with farming as a tangible extension of economic cycles.[12]
Challenges during adolescence, particularly the strained and verbally abusive dynamic with his domineering father, fostered resilience and a drive for autonomy that propelled his career path.[8] At 23, leveraging a farm credit loan, Soloviev purchased his initial 309 acres in Sumner County, Kansas, transitioning from trading to hands-on agriculture by planting his first crop of milo the following year.[12] Lacking prior rural experience as a New York native, he immersed himself in the local farming community, learning sustainable practices like no-till methods directly from Kansas mentors, which solidified his commitment to agribusiness.[12] These formative experiences transformed abstract business observations into a passion for land-based entrepreneurship, setting the stage for his expansive rural holdings.[13]
Formal education
Stefan Soloviev received his early formal education in private schools in New York City, where he grew up in Manhattan.[7]
He enrolled at the University of Rhode Island in the mid-1990s, spending two years there and developing an initial interest in agriculture during his studies.[1][14] This exposure to agricultural topics intersected with his emerging practical curiosity about farming, shaped by family discussions on land and commodities.[15]
In his junior year, Soloviev transferred to St. John's University in Queens, New York, closer to his family and business interests.[1][15] At St. John's, he joined the football team as a placekicker in 1996, practicing during spring ball but ultimately sidelined by an injury that prevented him from competing in regular-season games.[16][17]
Soloviev did not earn a degree from either institution, opting instead to pursue professional opportunities in agriculture and real estate upon leaving college.[3] His academic experiences, particularly the agricultural focus at the University of Rhode Island, provided foundational knowledge that aligned with his early hands-on involvement in family-related farming ventures.[14]
Business career
Initial ventures in agriculture
Following his formal education, Stefan Soloviev entered the agricultural sector in the late 1990s, leveraging his business acumen to pursue farming opportunities in Kansas.[18]
In 1999, at the age of 23 and during a brief stint as a day trader, Soloviev acquired his first property: a 309-acre farm in Sumner County, Kansas, located south of Wichita. This initial land purchase marked his entry into hands-on farming, focusing on small-scale operations in a region known for its agricultural potential. The acquisition was made at a low cost, reflecting the economic conditions of distressed farmland at the time, with prices around $500 per acre in Kansas.[1][19][20]
That same year, Soloviev founded Crossroads Agriculture, a company dedicated to cultivating, purchasing, storing, and selling commercial grains in the Wichita area. Early efforts centered on dryland farming techniques, particularly wheat production, where he planted crops in November and harvested them in June, adhering to the natural cycles of the region. To build his operations, Soloviev relied on guidance from local Kansas farmers, learning essential practices such as machinery operation and soil management.[21][1]
Soloviev's nascent ventures were not without challenges, as he faced a steep learning curve in adapting to the environmental demands of Kansas agriculture, including sparse rainfall and the need for moisture-retention methods like leaving wheat stubble on fields and applying chemicals to suppress weeds. Despite these hurdles, early successes emerged through his rapid acquisition of practical knowledge in grain production and crop management, establishing basic operational milestones by the end of 1999 and laying a foundation for sustainable small-scale farming. These initial efforts demonstrated his ability to navigate economic opportunities in undervalued land, yielding promising results in grain yields under dry conditions.[1][20]
Expansion into ranching and grain
Following his initial ventures in basic farming, Stefan Soloviev expanded into more integrated agricultural operations by establishing Crossroads Agriculture in 1999 in the Wichita, Kansas area, where the company focused on cultivating, purchasing, storing, and selling commercial grains such as wheat and milo.[21] This move marked a strategic shift toward vertical integration, allowing Soloviev to control multiple stages of the grain supply chain, from production to storage, in the high plains region. By leveraging economies of scale, Crossroads adopted dryland farming techniques, including no-till practices and drought-tolerant seeds, to optimize wheat yields in water-scarce areas.[12][21]
In the early 2000s, Soloviev scaled grain operations by acquiring additional cropland in western Kansas and eastern Colorado, including properties in Kiowa County, Colorado, and Greeley County, Kansas, near the state border, which enabled efficient storage and transportation of over 1 million bushels of wheat and milo annually for domestic and export markets.[20][19] These acquisitions, often at undervalued prices through mechanisms like 1031 exchanges, supported innovations in grain handling, such as enhanced silo networks to preserve moisture and reduce post-harvest losses in wheat production.[1] By the mid-2000s, this phase had grown Crossroads' cropland holdings to approximately 135,000 acres across Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico, emphasizing sustainable practices like stubble retention to combat soil erosion. In 2023, Soloviev acquired the 106,000-acre LE Ranch in New Mexico, further expanding ranching operations.[20][22]
Soloviev's entry into ranching began in 2004 with the acquisition of grasslands south of Portales, New Mexico, initiating a livestock division that integrated cattle operations with existing grain production.[21] This expansion included purchasing expansive rangelands, such as a 69,000-acre cow-calf operation near Roswell, New Mexico, at around $200 per acre, to support grazing for thousands of head of cattle using alfalfa and corn byproducts from on-site farms.[20] In Colorado, complementary land buys in eastern counties like Prowers and Kiowa further bolstered ranching by providing additional pasture for vertical integration, where crop residues fed livestock, reducing external input costs and enhancing overall operational efficiency.[19] By combining these elements, Soloviev aimed for a birth-to-slaughter model, with grassland holdings reaching about 190,000 acres by the late 2000s, positioning Crossroads as a fully integrated agribusiness.[20][1]
Acquisition of railroads and diversification
Starting in 2018, Stefan Soloviev expanded his business portfolio beyond agriculture by acquiring key railroad assets to enhance transportation efficiency for his farming operations. Soloviev's railroad acquisitions began in 2018 when he purchased the Colorado Pacific Railroad's 120-mile Towner segment for $10 million after a legal battle to prevent its scrapping.[19] In November 2022, through his Colorado Pacific Railroad, Soloviev bid $10.7 million for the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad out of bankruptcy, closing the acquisition in 2023 and renaming it the Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad. This 150-mile line, primarily in Colorado's San Luis Valley and dating back to the 1870s, connects local agriculture to national networks.[23][22] By 2024, Soloviev further consolidated his rail holdings by acquiring the 13-mile San Luis Central Railroad, a short line serving eastern Colorado's farming communities, via a subsidiary that began operations in October of that year. In 2024, Weskan Grain acquired Stockholm Grain, LLC, adding four new locations to support farmers and railroad operations.[5][24] These acquisitions, building on his prior investments in grain and ranching, aimed to reduce reliance on trucking and improve logistics for shipping commodities like potatoes and barley.[25]
Parallel to his rail expansions, Soloviev diversified into renewable energy in the 2010s and 2020s by leasing portions of his ranch lands for wind and solar projects, capitalizing on the high wind resources in the Great Plains. By 2023, over 30 wind turbines were operational on his New Mexico properties, with an additional 40 slated for construction on Colorado land in 2024 through partnerships with developers like Engie and Invenergy.[22] He anticipates hosting up to 500 turbines by the end of the decade, supported by new transmission infrastructure such as the Grain Belt Express and Colorado Power Pathway lines crossing his holdings.[22] These ventures generate steady lease revenue while allowing dual-use of land for grazing and cropping, aligning with Soloviev's emphasis on sustainable land management.[26]
This timeline of diversification, accelerating in the 2020s after establishing a robust agricultural foundation, has bolstered business resilience by creating interconnected revenue streams less vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations. The railroads have been revitalized from near-collapse to profitability within two years, facilitating efficient grain transport and reducing costs for Soloviev's 617,000 acres of farmland and ranchland across Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico as of 2025.[1][22] Meanwhile, renewable energy leases provide long-term income stability, with projections for significant scale underscoring the strategic pivot toward multi-industry operations that mitigate risks in traditional farming.[22]
Soloviev Group
Core operations in agriculture and real estate
The Soloviev Group's agricultural operations are primarily conducted through its Crossroads Agriculture division, which manages extensive dryland farming and ranching activities across Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. This division focuses on cultivating wheat and milo using resource-efficient methods suited to arid regions, while also overseeing cattle production integrated with crop rotation for soil health. A key component is Weskan Grain, a farmer-centric grain elevator and storage facility located near the Colorado-Kansas border, designed to support small and mid-sized producers by offering competitive storage and rail loading capabilities. The facility currently holds over 20 million bushels of grain following a 2024 acquisition and can load trains of up to 120 cars.[27][28][24][29]
In Colorado's San Luis Valley, including areas around Alamosa, the group operates large-scale ranching tied to its broader agricultural network, leveraging the region's grasslands to support livestock grazing. These efforts include managing approximately 5,000 head of cattle, primarily in New Mexico but with feed sourcing from Colorado and Kansas farmlands, emphasizing vertical integration from production to transport via the affiliated Colorado Pacific Rio Grande railroad. This 155-mile line, acquired in 2022, connects the valley's agricultural output to national markets, enhancing the viability of local farming by reducing transportation costs and enabling direct grain shipments. Stefan Soloviev founded Crossroads Agriculture to prioritize sustainable, farmer-first models that challenge large agribusiness dominance.[29][30][1]
The group's real estate portfolio complements its agricultural holdings, encompassing 617,000 acres of farmland and ranchland as of 2024 managed for both productive use and strategic development or preservation. These vast properties, concentrated in the southwestern U.S., serve as the backbone for agribusiness while offering opportunities for conservation easements and selective development to balance economic returns with environmental stewardship. In New York, the portfolio includes urban and rural assets, such as the 372-acre North Fork project in Cutchogue and Peconic, which plans 47 residential lots on preserved farmland totaling 267 acres to maintain agricultural viability amid growth pressures. High-profile Manhattan holdings, like the 9 West 57th Street office tower and sites along Billionaires' Row, generate revenue streams that fund rural land acquisitions and operations.[31][3][32][33]
As of 2025, the scale of these operations underscores their national significance, with Crossroads Agriculture harvesting approximately 2.5 million bushels of wheat and milo annually across roughly 400,000 acres of active farmland and ranchland. These figures reflect a focus on high-yield, low-input systems rather than expansion for its own sake, positioning the group as the 15th largest private landowner in the U.S. as of 2025. Innovations in sustainable practices, such as no-till and minimum-till dryland farming, minimize soil disturbance and water use, while data-driven land management optimizes crop yields and biodiversity on arid acres. These methods, pioneered over decades, have enabled resilient operations amid climate variability, with ongoing investments in regenerative techniques to enhance long-term soil fertility.[34][35][1][36]
Transportation and energy initiatives
The Soloviev Group's transportation initiatives center on its ownership of short-line railroads, which facilitate efficient freight movement for agricultural commodities across the western United States. In 2018, the group acquired the Colorado Pacific Railroad (CoPac), a 120-mile line known as the Towner segment, running through eastern Colorado and connecting to major carriers BNSF and Union Pacific. This acquisition enabled the transport of grain such as wheat, corn, and milo from Soloviev-owned facilities like Weskan Grain, which opened in 2022 adjacent to the CoPac tracks near Sheridan Lake, Colorado, and features over 20 million bushels of storage capacity with the ability to load unit trains of up to 120 cars in under 10 hours following a 2024 expansion. These operations integrate directly with the group's agriculture division by providing cost-effective shipping to export markets on the West Coast, Texas Gulf Coast, and Mexico, thereby supporting small farmers through reduced tariffs and improved market access compared to larger rail operators.[1][27][24]
In 2023, the Soloviev Group expanded its rail network by purchasing the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad (now operated as Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad or CXRG) for $10.7 million in a bankruptcy auction, adding over 150 miles of track serving south-central Colorado and the San Luis Valley. The CXRG routes include the main line from Walsenburg to South Fork via La Veta Pass and a branch from Alamosa to Antonito, offering services such as freight transport, transloading at a unit train-capable facility, storage for over 5,000 railcars, and switching operations across more than 300 acres of warehousing. These railroads have lowered freight rates for grain shipments, with the first unit train departing Weskan Grain in May 2023 carrying local milo to market, marking a key milestone in revitalizing rural logistics. As of 2025, the group plans further expansions, including a September 2024 filing to acquire the San Luis Central Railroad, and is pursuing legal challenges against major railroads to enhance connectivity and efficiency.[23][37][38][1][25]
On the energy front, the Soloviev Group has pursued renewable projects on its vast western land holdings to diversify revenue and promote sustainability. By 2023, over 30 wind turbines were operational on group lands in New Mexico, generating clean power while leasing arrangements provided significant income; the group secured the nation's largest wind lease deal that year and anticipates hosting up to 500 turbines by the end of the decade across Colorado and New Mexico sites. An additional 40 turbines were slated for construction in Colorado in 2024, contributing to environmental benefits such as reduced carbon emissions and land regeneration alongside agricultural use. Complementing wind efforts, Crossroads Agriculture—a Soloviev Group subsidiary—announced two photovoltaic solar projects in April 2023 on over 7,500 acres of eastern Colorado farmland near Haswell and Cheyenne Wells, with a combined capacity exceeding 1 gigawatt to power approximately 250,000 homes. These solar installations allow resting of soil and aquifers for about 30 years, lowering electricity costs relative to coal sources and aligning with Colorado's renewable energy targets.[1][26][39]
These transportation and energy initiatives have bolstered local economies by creating jobs in rail operations, maintenance, and renewable energy construction, while enhancing logistical support for the group's core agricultural activities. The railroads alone have facilitated commerce for rural communities, with investments exceeding millions in track restoration and locomotive upgrades to sustain employment and stimulate growth in grain-dependent regions. Overall, the ventures underscore a strategy of integrating infrastructure with sustainable energy to drive long-term economic resilience.[12][37][1]
Hospitality and other holdings
The Soloviev Group's hospitality ventures center on luxury lodging and experiential accommodations, primarily in New York, complementing its broader real estate portfolio to diversify revenue beyond agriculture and transportation. Key properties include The Chequit, a historic 36-room boutique hotel on Shelter Island, which underwent a comprehensive renovation and reopened in 2021 under the group's ownership, offering seaside rooms, dining, and event spaces with a modern, relaxed approach to traditional innkeeping.[40] The hotel operates seasonally, closing in November 2025 for winter maintenance and reopening in April, emphasizing its role in supporting local tourism during peak summer months.[41]
In Manhattan, the group manages short-term furnished luxury rentals at The Rian, located at 7 West 57th Street, providing high-end residential-style accommodations for transient stays since late 2023, targeting business travelers and visitors seeking premium urban amenities.[42] Expanding hospitality services, the Soloviev Group partnered with Kent Hospitality in January 2025 to introduce exclusive dining and lounge offerings at its flagship 9 West 57th Street property, including a private members' club and bespoke food and beverage experiences accessible to tenants and guests, enhancing the building's appeal as a mixed-use destination.[43]
On the North Fork of Long Island, the group owns Peconic Bay Vineyards in Cutchogue, where it announced plans in 2021 for a 40-room boutique resort and spa integrated with the winery, focusing on immersive wine and wellness experiences tied to local agriculture; as of 2025, the project remains in development, with the vineyard hosting events and tastings to build toward full hospitality integration.[44] These properties, while not directly linked to the group's western ranch lands, leverage regional terroir and urban prestige to create synergistic revenue streams, with hospitality contributing to overall portfolio stability through tourism and short-term leasing.[34]
In entertainment holdings, the Soloviev Group pursued the Freedom Plaza project in Manhattan's East River area, proposing an integrated resort with two hotels—including a 1,250-room flagship—and entertainment facilities in partnership with Mohegan, valued at $11 billion; however, the initiative faced rejection from community boards in September 2025, halting near-term development.[45][46] No significant media or technology integrations were reported within the group's holdings as of 2025, though real estate developments like the January 2025 acquisition of 24 West 57th Street for potential mixed-use projects, including boutique hotels, signal ongoing diversification efforts.[47]
Philanthropy and sustainability
Establishment of Soloviev Foundation
The Soloviev Foundation, originally established in 1991 as the Solow Art and Architecture Foundation and renamed in conjunction with the formation of the Soloviev Group in 2021, serves as the philanthropic arm of the Soloviev Group through the merger of Stefan Soloviev's agriculture operations and his family's real estate portfolio. This renaming was enabled by Soloviev's business successes in diversified sectors, providing the resources to expand a dedicated charitable entity focused on societal betterment.[48][3][49]
The Foundation's core mission centers on advancing education, healthcare, and community support, with an emphasis on aiding at-risk children, upholding societal values, and fostering social responsibility through partnerships with both global institutions and local organizations. It also supports humanitarian and environmental causes, including arts and culture initiatives such as public exhibitions of its art collection (e.g., the 2025 Path of Liberty installation) and a $250,000 grant in 2023 to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to combat child sexual exploitation.[49][50][51]
Among its key programs, the Foundation has introduced the Future Generations Essay Contest, launched in 2025 as an annual initiative awarding scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 to students in grades 6-12 across New York City public and private schools, encouraging essays on themes of ethics and community values. It has also funded educational infrastructure, including a $250,000 grant to Marymount Manhattan College to create the Center for Professional Ethics and Social Responsibility, which promotes interdisciplinary research, leadership training, and public forums on ethical practices. For local aid in operational areas, the Foundation supports community services such as grants to the Henry Street Settlement for social programs in New York. Soloviev separately founded the Soloviev Base in Sacramento, California, to provide assistance to youth, homeless individuals, and arts initiatives.[52][53][49][54]
Stefan Soloviev, as Principal of the Foundation and Chairman of the Soloviev Group, has been directly involved in its setup and ongoing direction, guiding its strategic governance to ensure grants align with priorities in education, health, and community welfare.[49]
Environmental and community efforts
Stefan Soloviev has championed sustainability through the Soloviev Group's business operations and aligned philanthropic efforts via the Soloviev Foundation, emphasizing conservation on ranch lands and support for local communities. Through Crossroads Agriculture, Soloviev has implemented no-till farming techniques across over 400,000 acres in Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico to reduce soil erosion and enhance soil health.[18][27] These practices promote long-term land stewardship by minimizing tillage and preserving topsoil integrity. Additionally, water management efforts incorporate dryland farming methods, land rotation, and drought-resistant crops, which optimize resource use in arid regions without relying on extensive irrigation.[27]
Community initiatives in Kansas and Colorado focus on bolstering local economies through infrastructure development and support for regional farmers. For instance, the construction of the Weskan Grain Facility near Sheridan Lake, Colorado, provides a 4.5 million bushel storage capacity and handles up to 65 trucks per hour during harvest, enabling more efficient grain merchandising and reducing transportation bottlenecks for nearby producers.[27] In Kansas, operations at Crossroads Agriculture harvest over 1 million bushels of wheat and milo annually, fostering economic stability by integrating local farmers into supply chains for domestic and export markets.[27] These projects contribute to rural welfare by creating jobs and improving access to markets, with annual beef production at Quintin City Ranch reaching 1.5 million pounds through minimized pharmaceutical use in ranching.[27]
As of 2025, partnerships with agricultural entities underscore these efforts, including collaborations with seed companies to develop drought-tolerant corn varieties and alliances with railroads like Colorado Pacific and Union Pacific for sustainable grain transport.[4] A notable initiative involves the Soloviev Group's alliance with Weskan Grain and Nu Life Market to promote sorghum production, which supports rural economies while advancing nutritious, low-water food options.[55] Investments in renewable energy, such as wind and solar projects on farmland, further integrate environmental goals with community benefits by generating clean power and diversifying local income sources.[18]
Measurable outcomes include the preservation of soil quality on hundreds of thousands of acres through no-till and organic practices for crops like corn and alfalfa hay, leading to improved water retention and biodiversity.[27] Community impacts are evident in enhanced economic opportunities, with facilities like Weskan Grain alleviating storage constraints that previously forced third-party reliance, thereby retaining more revenue in local areas.[27] Overall, these efforts have positioned Crossroads Agriculture as a leader in responsible land use, harvesting substantial yields while conserving resources across its expansive holdings.[35]
Advocacy for sustainable practices
Stefan Soloviev has actively promoted sustainable practices through public interviews and statements, emphasizing the integration of environmental stewardship into large-scale agriculture and energy operations. In a 2024 interview with Urban Land Magazine, he highlighted the profitability and ecological benefits of leasing farmland for wind turbines, stating, "We hit home runs on every turbine that is put on our property. We want as many turbines as we can get, because they’ll make us more money than any grain you can grow."[4] This approach underscores his advocacy for renewable energy as a viable alternative to traditional farming in arid regions, where he has approved projects like 42 wind turbines by Invenergy on Soloviev Group lands.[4]
Soloviev's advocacy extends to innovative farming techniques that minimize environmental impact, influencing industry standards through the Soloviev Group's adoption of no-till and minimum-till methods across its 400,000-acre operations. In a 2022 LEADERS Magazine interview, he described these practices as pioneering efforts that retain soil moisture and enable crop growth in challenging conditions, noting, "Retaining the moisture has let us grow non-irrigated cotton literally next to cactuses."[12] By implementing such regenerative agriculture techniques, including cover crops and reduced plowing, the group has demonstrated scalable models that reduce soil erosion and enhance biodiversity, setting benchmarks for sustainable agribusiness in the Midwest and Southwest.[18] These practices, featured in a 2025 PBS episode of Travels & Traditions, illustrate Soloviev's commitment to no-till farming as a tool for long-term land health.[56]
In public statements, Soloviev has engaged on policy-relevant issues like water management and technological innovation to address climate challenges. During the 2025 announcement of a partnership between Soloviev Group, Weskan Grain, and Nu Life Market, he affirmed, "This strategic partnership underscores our steadfast commitment to sustainable agriculture and community well-being," linking business diversification to broader environmental goals.[55] He has also advocated for desalination technologies in drought-prone areas, as discussed in the LEADERS interview, to foster a "greener planet" amid Western U.S. water scarcity.[12]
Looking forward, Soloviev envisions sustainable innovations that blend automation and organics in agriculture and energy. In the Urban Land Magazine feature, he outlined the use of laser-equipped robots to eliminate pesticides, enabling organic certification without chemical sprays, and expressed enthusiasm for expanding solar projects alongside wind energy on group properties.[4] These ideas position his advocacy as forward-thinking, aiming to influence policy and industry toward resilient, low-impact systems in food production and renewable resources by the end of the decade.[12]
Personal life
Family and relationships
Stefan Soloviev, born to real estate developer Sheldon Solow and fashion designer Mia Fonssagrives, married Stacey Soloviev in 1996 at the age of 21; the couple, who met after her move to New York from Montana, share a Mormon-influenced family background and remained married for 18 years until their amicable divorce in 2014.[29][57][58]
Together, they have 11 children, including sons Christian, Hayden, Quintin, Carson, and Colton, as well as daughters Kailey, and Bebe, among others whose names have been less publicly detailed.[59][57][60] Soloviev has fathered additional children following the divorce, bringing his total to an estimated 22, though exact numbers and details remain private.[7][12]
Several of Soloviev's children are actively involved in the family businesses under the Soloviev Group umbrella; for instance, his son Hayden Soloviev, a New York University student, serves as vice chairman and manages operations in the Atlantic region, while Quintin Soloviev contributes to leadership roles, including aviation and agricultural initiatives.[8][15][2] His ex-wife Stacey continues to play a key role in the family's philanthropic and business endeavors, overseeing a vineyard and Christmas tree farm on the North Fork of Long Island, as well as community projects on Shelter Island.[8][57][61]
Soloviev maintains close ties with his brother, Nikolai Solow, from his parents' marriage, and the family's relational dynamics have evolved alongside his career expansion into railroads, agriculture, and real estate, with post-divorce collaborations emphasizing co-parenting and joint ventures that support their children's involvement in sustainable and community-focused enterprises.[10][12][9]
Interests and lifestyle
Stefan Soloviev maintains a lifestyle that balances urban sophistication with rural immersion, frequently dividing his time between New York City and expansive agricultural properties in the American West. He owns significant land holdings in Colorado, where he spends considerable time engaging in hands-on outdoor activities related to ranching and farming, reflecting his deep personal affinity for the land.[4] He has acquired property interests in Prince Edward Island, Canada, including approximately 9.09 acres in South Lake in 2020.[62]
In terms of residences, Soloviev's primary home is in the Hamptons, specifically East Hampton, New York, where he owns multiple landscaped properties and has long-standing personal ties from his youth. He also maintains a presence in Delray Beach, Florida, and an office-residence overlooking Central Park in Manhattan at 9 West 57th Street. These locations underscore his preference for coastal and urban settings that facilitate both relaxation and connectivity to his broader operations.[7][63]
Soloviev's athletic pursuits include a passion for ice hockey, which he played in a Canadian style during his middle and high school years in Connecticut and New York, as well as football during his time at St. John's University. As a teenager, he enjoyed surfing along the beaches of the Hamptons during summer visits. His travel habits often involve trips to Sweden to visit relatives, highlighting his Swedish heritage, and occasional family excursions that blend personal heritage with leisure. Known in rural communities as "The New Yorker" due to his Manhattan roots, Soloviev cultivates a public persona that blends an athletic, tanned appearance with a low-key, hands-on demeanor.
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