Aleksandr Agapitov
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Aleksandr “Shurick” Agapitov | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aleksandr Agapitov 1983 or 1984 (age 40–41) Russia |
| Years active | 2005–Present |
| Title | Founder and CEO of Xsolla |
Aleksandr "Shurick" Agapitov (born 1983 or 1984) is a Russian-born businessman, best known as the founder and chief executive officer of Xsolla, a video game payments company. He is the author of Once Upon Tomorrow: Harnessing the New Opportunities the Metaverse Creates, about the effects of a decentralized and open metaverse.
Early life and education
[edit]Agapitov grew up in Perm, Russia, where he studied mathematics and computer science at Perm State University.[1] During this time, Agapitov explored early online payment systems and video games while working various roles. These experiences influenced the creation of Xsolla.[2] He then withdrew from university and, when he was 25, moved to Los Angeles, California.[2]
Career
[edit]Agapitov founded Xsolla, a company that enables video game developers to sell in-game digital items, in 2005.[2] Under his tenure as CEO, Xsolla has added clients such as Epic Games, Twitch, Valve and Roblox Corp.[3] He owns 100 percent of the company, which generated approximately US$100 million in revenue in 2021.[2]
In 2021, Xsolla laid off approximately 150 employees.[4] Agapitov said that the layoffs were based on data analysis of the employees' activity, as well as the company failing to maintain 40 percent growth.[4] His communication around the layoffs, including an explicit social media post, led to Agapitov stepping down as CEO.[5] After leaving the company, he developed a metaverse-focused project called X.LA.[2] Agapitov returned to Xsolla as CEO in 2024.[5]
Simon & Schuster published Agapitov's 2024 book, Once Upon Tomorrow: Harnessing the New Opportunities the Metaverse Creates. In it, Agapitov describes the concept of a decentralized metaverse, which he said could shift power dynamics in the tech industry and impact the role of content creators.[6]
In 2024, Agapitov's family office invested in the gaming monetization platform 3thix, which raised US$8.5 million from investors.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Sandle, Tim (May 8, 2024). "Revealed: The technology tools needed today to build tomorrow's Metaverse". Digital Journal. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Carpenter, Scott (April 18, 2022). "Video Game Junkie Quietly Builds $3 Billion Payments Powerhouse". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (February 2, 2022). "Xsolla appoints Konstantin Golubitsky as CEO". VentureBeat. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Forde, Matthew (August 9, 2021). "Xsolla lays off 150 staff members, CEO tweet sparks further outrage". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Griffiths, Daniel (February 14, 2024). "Leadership reshuffles at Xsolla put the company's founder back in the hot seat". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (January 29, 2024). "Xsolla founder unveils metaverse vision in Once Upon Tomorrow book". VentureBeat. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (January 16, 2024). "3thix raises $8.5M to monetize Web3 games". VentureBeat. Retrieved July 2, 2024.