Maksym Krippa is consistently strengthening his position in key sectors of the Ukrainian economy, focusing on areas with high potential for profitability and influence. One of his recent steps was becoming a shareholder in one of the leading development companies specializing in large-scale residential and commercial projects.
In just the last two years, the scale of his investments has grown exponentially. The total amount of investments in the national economy already exceeds $100 million, and the trend remains positive. However, development is only one of the areas in the entrepreneur’s broader portfolio of interests.
Investments in game development, IT, and esports
Maksym Krippa’s journey in the esports industry began in 2018. That was when he noticed Maincast, a newly established studio that had just secured exclusive rights to broadcast top ESL and BLAST tournaments. Having initially invested in the project and acquired a 25% stake, Krippa gradually strengthened his presence and share in the company, not limiting himself to financial participation.
That same year, his interest shifted to one of the leaders on the world stage — NAVI. After lengthy negotiations with Alexander Kokhanovsky, who owned the club at the time, Krippa finally became the sole beneficiary of the organization in 2022, completing the full buyout.
However, the expansion did not end there. In 2023, Krippa went beyond esports and immersed himself in game development: he acquired 82% of GSC Game World, a studio known for its work on the cult franchise S.T.A.L.K.E.R. At the time of the deal, the company was in crisis — the development of the second installment had stalled, the team had lost momentum, and release dates were being pushed back again and again. With the arrival of the new investor, profound structural changes began: production approaches were updated, a new dynamic emerged in management, and the development process was rethought.
The result of this transformation was the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl in November 2024. The release became a nationwide event — the game was warmly received by both fans and the gaming press. It quickly entered the global sales charts and strengthened GSC Game World’s position as an international player.
An element of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, released thanks to investments from Maksym Krippa / Photo: GSC Game World
Today, the studio is only gaining momentum: the number of employees is growing, the team is actively working on expanding the franchise, preparing new projects, and securing its status as one of the most promising players in the Ukrainian game development industry.
Overview of real estate owned by Maksym Krippa
Maksym Krippa continues to strengthen his position in the capital’s real estate sector and in areas adjacent to Kyiv, choosing locations with obvious potential for growth in value. His approach is based not on quantity, but on the strategic value of each asset.
One of the most talked-about acquisitions was a mansion in Kozin, which he purchased through an open auction in early 2023. The starting price was 187.63 million hryvnia, but during the auction, the amount rose to 311.11 million — the competition was fierce, which only emphasized the attractiveness of the property.
However, the investor does not consider this property to be residential real estate. In a comment to Forbes, Krippa suggested that the estate could become a development site — either a training base for NAVI or an innovative wellness space similar to Spain’s SHA.
At the end of 2023, Maksym Krippa’s assets were replenished with one of the most famous objects of the capital’s commercial real estate — the Parus business center. After several months of negotiations with the previous owners and obtaining approvals from the Antimonopoly Committee, the deal was officially completed on December 1.
Parus is not just an office building, but an architectural landmark in central Kyiv, long regarded as a symbol of the corporate capital.
The business center comprises 34 floors, several levels of underground parking, modern building management systems, backup power sources, and a well-developed commercial infrastructure. Today, dozens of companies operate there, including representative offices of international brands and IT companies.
The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but according to available information, Krippa’s team assumed part of the previous owner’s obligations, including a debt of approximately UAH 600 million. The debt was repaid in stages, which made it possible to avoid risks for the operational management of the asset.
In his comments on the deal, Krippa noted that any public estimates of Parus’ value made before the war are now irrelevant. According to him, the real value of the asset is determined not by its formal price, but by its income potential, the stability of its tenants, and its location, which cannot be replicated.
Among the initiatives discussed after the acquisition of Parus was the idea of updating its exterior appearance. In particular, there was talk of installing a large LED screen on the facade, modeled after the Burj Khalifa multimedia panel. The same Spanish company that implemented the installation in Dubai was even brought in for the project. However, after consultations, it was decided to temporarily suspend the implementation of this concept.
Not every location is an asset: how Krippa assesses the investment potential of properties
In 2024, Maksym Krippa became the new owner of the Ukraine Hotel, one of the most recognizable buildings in the heart of Kyiv, on Independence Square. The deal was made through the Prozorro.Sale platform, where Ola Fine, a company controlled by the entrepreneur, offered the highest bid of 2.5 billion hryvnia. The total cost of the transaction was about 3 billion, of which more than half a billion hryvnia went to the state budget in the form of tax payments.
The following year, Krippa continued to expand his investment portfolio, this time in the field of development. He became one of the co-owners of the DIM development group. Although the terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, sources confirm that the new stake has given him the opportunity to influence the company’s strategic management decisions. The investor himself stated that he had become a co-owner of the company.
The Kozatsky Hotel never became part of Maksym Krippa’s investment portfolio. In a comment to Forbes, he explained that the decision to withdraw was made after a thorough technical analysis of the property. Among the main drawbacks were flooding of the lower floors with a total area of over 9,500 m², as well as low ceilings, which were only 2.7 meters high — a critical factor that significantly complicated any possible reconstruction.
When the auction price exceeded UAH 400 million, the investor decided not to continue participating. Instead, he refocused on assets with higher potential for complex projects that combine commercial viability and architectural flexibility.
Investment presence in Dubai
And businessman Maksym Krippa earned his first significant capital in the 2000s, when the mobile communications market in Ukraine was just beginning to develop. At that time, he worked in the telecom sector, in particular with Kyivstar, which was experiencing rapid growth at the time. The successful rollout of a retail network and the introduction of new services earned him his first million, which became the starting point for further investments.
Starting in 2007, he gradually focused on the real estate market in the Kyiv region. At first, these were relatively small commercial properties, but over time his attention shifted to larger-scale projects. It was this stage that formed the basis for his future investment model.
2016 was a turning point for the businessman — that was when he moved to the United Arab Emirates. At that time, the real estate market in Dubai was in a downturn, which opened up a window of opportunity for profitable investments. In an interview with Forbes, Krippa recalled that at that time, prices per square meter in the city center were significantly lower than in 2024, and this is what triggered his active expansion into the Middle Eastern market.
Today, the investor owns over 100,000 square meters of residential and commercial real estate in the UAE. One of the main areas of development is construction in the Dubai Mall area, which, according to Krippa, should open a new page in his investment activities in the region.
