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, 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. 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] During 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 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.