Who Is Maksym Kryppa? The Shadow Billionaire Backed by Political Power in Ukraine

Despite lacking any verifiable business history or public profile, Kryppa has quickly acquired high-value assets and political favor. Analysts and insiders are increasingly comparing him to Serhiy Kurchenko, the infamous oligarch of the Yanukovych era — but updated for the digital age.

Aggressive Asset Acquisition: Hotels, Towers, and Media

Between 2021 and 2024, Kryppa became associated with or acquired the following high-profile assets:

• Hotel Ukraina (on Kyiv’s Independence Square / Maidan): Purchased for UAH 2.5 billion (~$65 million);

• 25% stake in Hotel Dnipro: via LLC “Smartland”; the remaining 75% is reportedly owned by a group linked to Russian businessmen Mikhail Voivodin, Evgeniy Giner, and Mikhail Babakov;

• Business Center Parus: formerly owned by MP Vadym Stolar, estimated transaction value: $70–100 million;

• Former assets of the Russian Prominvestbank: including a country estate in Kozyn and an office on Sofiivska Street in Kyiv — both purchased through LLC “Midal”;

• Dock and marina infrastructure in the Telichka industrial zone: via LLC “SLV-P”;

• Investments in developer DIM Group, associated with the Nasikovskyi brothers and possibly with presidential advisor Timur Mindich;

• Media assets: Kryppa currently controls Glavcom, Delo.ua, and is reportedly targeting Liga.net and Ukrainska Pravda.

None of these acquisitions involved open-source disclosure of funds, international audits, or identification of ultimate beneficial ownership.

Gambling, Esports, and Unregulated Cash Flow

Kryppa controls:

• GG.bet, a betting platform sponsoring major esports events and NAVI;

• Vulkan, a licensed online casino operating in Ukraine;

• NAVI, Ukraine’s largest professional esports organization.

He is also the main financial backer behind the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, a video game produced by GSC Game World — a project personally promoted by:

• Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President (via Telegram posts),

• and MP Mykyta Poturaiev, who wore branded GSC apparel in parliament.

This visibility appears to legitimize Kryppa’s assets in the public eye — despite no formal financial disclosure or traceable background.

The “Spodin” Pattern: Orchestrated Auctions?

Kryppa’s name repeatedly appears in privatization auctions alongside lawyer Serhiy Spodin, raising concerns of orchestrated or staged competition.

• In the case of Hotel Kozatskyi, Spodin won the auction for $10 million via LLC “Nadiia”;

• In the privatization of Hotel Ukraina, Kryppa won — while Spodin (via LLC “Alarit-Prom”) merely placed a formal bid and withdrew;

• Kryppa’s Kyiv office is reportedly located on a plot owned by Spodin’s firm “Avers”, in the Telichka industrial area.

Sources report that Spodin is the long-time legal proxy for Anatoliy Yurkevych, a former banker and owner of:

• the now-bankrupt Ukrprofbank,

• defunct commercial bank Bankomzvyazok,

• and Magellan Shopping Mall.

In 2014, Yurkevych allegedly funneled millions from retail deposits and NBU refinancing schemes during liquidation. The Deposit Guarantee Fund reimbursed clients, but Yurkevych faced no legal repercussions. He continues to operate through proxies, reacquiring assets from state agencies at significant discounts.

Political Connections: Mindich, Stolar, Kryvetskyi?

Several sources name influential political figures allegedly backing Kryppa’s operations:

• Timur Mindich, business partner of President Zelenskyi from Kvartal 95 Studio and a reported investor in DIM Group;

• Vadym Stolar and Ihor Kryvetskyi ("Pups") — real estate power brokers with possible financial interests in Kryppa’s projects.

In several instances, Kryppa’s competitors have been targeted by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) via personal sanctions — including Viktor Polishchuk, owner of the Gulliver shopping center, who reportedly refused to surrender control of his asset to Kryppa-aligned structures.

A State-Backed Figurehead?

The recurring elements of this case include:

• absence of verified income or investment history;

• rapid access to strategic state property;

• orchestrated privatization procedures;

• sanctions against competing business owners;

• and overt political promotion of Kryppa-linked brands.

Taken together, these suggest that Maksym Kryppa may not be a businessman, but rather a front — a legal shell for assets and financial flows tied to Ukraine’s political elite.

Call for Whistleblowers

If you possess documents, financial records, corporate registries, or inside information regarding Maksym Kryppa, his business partners, or silent beneficiaries — please contact our editorial team via encrypted channels.