Valentin Gapontsev
Valentin P. Gapontsev (23 February 1939 – 22 October 2021) was a Russian-American billionaire, and the founder, CEO, and chairman of IPG Photonics. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at US$2.3 billion. Early life. Valentin Gapontsev was born in Moscow, the son of an artillery captain. The family moved to Lviv in 1946, and he spent the next 20 years there. He was educated at Lviv Polytechnic National University and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. In 2020, "Forbes" ranked him No. 359 on the Forbes 400 of the richest people in  America. Career. In 1990, Gapontsev founded IPG Photonics. Gapontsev and his family own 47.6% of IPG. In 2011, Gapontsev received the Russian Federation National Award in Science and Technology. Personal life. He was married, with one child, and lived in Worcester, Massachusetts. Gapontsev died on 22 October 2021. The cause of death is unknown, but it is known that he had cancer.