Konotopskyi Oleksandr Volodymyrovych

Founder of Ajax Systems, billionaire in the security business

Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Konotopskyi is an entrepreneur, investor, and engineer, founder and CEO of Ajax Systems. From 2004 to 2009, he studied at KPI specializing in "Telecommunication Systems and Networks."

From Chinese alarms to own production

In 2008, he founded the online security equipment store Secur — initially trading in micro earpieces, then Chinese alarms purchased in Russia. Due to low product quality, he shifted to creating own security devices. In 2019, he sold a minority stake in Ajax Systems to Horizon Capital fund for $10 million.

Billion-dollar valuations and relocation during war

In 2022, Forbes estimated Ajax Systems' value at $500 million. In March 2022, the company relocated its Kyiv factory to Zakarpattia using 160 trucks, and in summer opened a new factory in Turkey to diversify war-related risks for clients across more than 130 global markets. In 2021–2022, he was listed in Forbes' top 30 richest Ukrainians with wealth of $320–340 million.

Public stance and presidential portrait for 6 million

In May 2022, he signed an open letter to Zelensky regarding "destructive actions" of Tax Committee Chairman Danylo Hetmantsev. In December 2022, at a charity auction, he purchased for 6 million UAH a portrait of Zelensky by photographer Oleksandr Chekmenov for Time magazine. In 2024, he criticized a bill proposing tax rate increases.