Igor Rybakov
Igor Rybakov | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1972 Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, author, philanthropist, musician, film producer |
| Known for | Co-founder of Technonicol |
Igor Vladimirovich Rybakov (; born 16 May 1972) is a Russian billionaire businessman and co-founder of Technonicol, a prominent producer of construction materials. As of June 2025, he holds the 1,568th position on the Forbes Billionaires List, with an estimated fortune of $2.4 billion.
Business
Rybakov's entry into the construction sector began in 1988 when he joined a student construction brigade. During his studies at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, he worked as a roofer alongside his classmate Sergey Kolesnikov. Together, in 1992, they established Technonicol to meet the rising demand driven by increasing private homeownership and the need for renovation and new construction projects.
Founded in 1993 as a trading enterprise focused on supplying raw materials and distributing finished products, Technonicol experienced rapid growth throughout Russia and the CIS between 1994 and 1999.
By 2019, Technonicol achieved revenues of $1.7 billion. The company operates 53 manufacturing facilities across seven nations—including Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany—and maintains 22 offices in 18 countries. Additionally, it runs 18 training centers and six research institutes.
Its sales infrastructure comprises 90 offices throughout Russia and CIS states, with product distribution extending to 150 countries globally.
In 2018, Rybakov and Kolesnikov jointly received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Russia and participated in the international awards ceremony held in Monaco in 2019. That same year, Forbes ranked Technonicol as the 114th largest private company in Russia.
Literary works
In 2017, Rybakov authored The Thirst, which presents his business principles alongside the story behind Technonicol’s inception. The book secured second place in PwC’s "Business Book of the Year" contest in 2018.
Music and production
Rybakov debuted musically in 2019 with his album Summer Has Been Going Away (Russian: «Уходило лето»). He views music as a catalyst for intellectual stimulation that supports uncovering new business prospects. That year, he also produced a short film titled "Fair Play".
Philanthropy
Together with his wife Ekaterina, Rybakov founded the non-profit Rybakov Family Foundation in 2015. The foundation aims to revolutionize education by encouraging diverse educational models and fostering initiative. It established the Rybakov Prize to honor philanthropists contributing to education and developed endowment services to ensure sustainable financial support. The foundation collaborates with entities such as UNESCO and the World Bank. Notable initiatives include the Rybakov Playschool targeting early childhood education and "X10 ACADEMY," which supports entrepreneurs.
Further philanthropic activities include a $1 million endowment donation to his alma mater and funding for a monument dedicated to healthcare professionals combating COVID-19, created by artist Alexey Sergienko.
Personal life
Igor and Ekaterina have one daughter born in 2000.
Rybakov operates a YouTube channel with approximately 2.68 million followers. His series Billionaire’s Thoughts offers weekly commentary on current affairs, while Rybakov Talks addresses future trends in education.