VG
The basics
Quick facts
Intro
Soviet physicist
A.K.A.
Valentin Pavlovich Gapontsev
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
23 February 1939(Moscow, Russia)
Star sign:
Residences
Worcester, USA
Education:
Lviv Polytechnic
The details
Biography
Introduction
Valentin P. Gapontsev (born 23 February 1939) is a Russian-American billionaire, known as the founder, CEO, and chairman of IPG Photonics.
Early life
Valentin Gapontsev was born in Moscow, early in the Second World War, the son of an artillery captain. The family moved to Lvov 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.
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 is married, with one child and lives in Worcester, Massachusetts.