Asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of 2‐(2‐methoxy‐2‐oxoethyl)acrylic acid (5) to give (2S)‐4‐methoxy‐2‐methyl‐4‐oxobutanoic acid [(S)‐6] was studied. An enantiomeric excess of 99.7% ee was achieved with a catalyst formed in situ from [Rh(COD)2]BF4 and the chiral phosphite L2 in 1,2‐dichloroethane as solvent. In addition, enzyme‐catalyzed semi‐saponification of dimethyl 2‐methylsuccinate was investigated. Mono ester (S)‐6 was transformed into a few compounds which can serve as C5‐building blocks in natural product syntheses. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)