Who is behind the purchase of Kiev business center "Parus"?

Who is Maxim Krippa, how he dared to buy a 150-meter glass building during the shelling by enemy missiles and for what purpose it was done - to these questions we will try to find an answer

Despite Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv commercial real estate continues to be in demand. Thus, in 2023, a sale and purchase transaction took place for one of the highest business centers of the Ukrainian capital - Parus. The buyer is Maxim Krippa, the sellers are businessman Vadym Mikhailovich Stolar (80% share) and his ex-spouse Maystruk Inna Anatolievna (20% share).

For reference: business center "Parus" is located in Kiev at the address Mechnikova Street 2, near the metro station Klovska, its official opening took place on April 4, 2007 and until 2010 "Parus" was rightly considered the tallest building in Kiev, the height of which is 133.1 meters. (with antenna 149.5 m). Later it was overtaken by Gulliver Business Center and Klovsky Residential Complex. But to this day "Parus" is one of the three tallest buildings in Kiev, the number of floors of which is 33 with a total usable area of 75 000 square meters, two conference halls for 40 and 100 participants, a dining room and two restaurants.

But let's return to the owners of the above-mentioned skyscraper. The idea of creating the highest business center in Kiev came to the owner of Mandarin Plaza Vagif Aliyev. The construction of the building began in 2004, was completed in early 2007 and cost approximately 500 million hryvnias.

For nine years, Aliev's business partner in the Parus business was Dmytro Firtash. The business center was equally owned by their companies - Advanced Technologies Plus (through the Cypriot company Bovalon Invest) of Dmytro Firtash and Mandarin Plaza of Vagif Aliyev.

In 2016, Firtash sold his stake in the business, but it was not specified who became the buyer. After 5 years, in 2021, Vagif Aliyev also decided to say goodbye to his brainchild and sold the business center to Vadim Stolar, who later shared ownership with his wife (now ex-wife), giving her a 20% stake.

On February 24, 2022, the full-scale war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine began, the real estate market was frozen for some time. When restrictions on real estate transactions were lifted, rumors about the sale of Parus started.

A transaction of this kind is impossible without the control of the antimonopoly committee, therefore the permission of OLA FAIN LLC to acquire a controlling stake in Parus Holding LLC became known only on November 30, 2023.

To find out who became the new owner of the business center "Parus", we turn to the resource YouControl and see that the ultimate beneficial owner of LLC "OLA FAIN" - Maxim Krippa.

What we know about Maxim Krippa: he is a Ukrainian businessman, the owner of the cybersports club NAVI (Natus Vincere, Born to Win), the company GSC Game World - the developer of the famous computer game S.T.A.L.K.E.R., as well as several companies involved in software development.

NAVI became the first world champions in Counter-Strike 2, so this asset of Maxim Krippa, acquired by him in 2020, is worth to dwell on in more detail:

NAVI cybersports organization was created in December 2009 by Alexander Kokhanovsky, known in cybersports community circles under the nickname ZeroGravity. During this time "Born to Win" won a huge number of tournaments and gained the reputation of one of the strongest cybersports organizations.

In order not to bore the reader with unnecessary details, let's go over the figures:

• NAVI won 12 medals in its first year, 8 of which were gold medals
• in 2011 became the winners of the main event of the cybersports world - the Dota 2 tournament, The International. The prize money was $1,000,000, a record at the time
• tournaments, in two of which they became championsIn 2012 Natus Vincere reached the finals of six major
• in 2013, NAVI was formed in World of Tanks and over the next 4 years, the World of Tanks team won over 20 international awards and $350,000. But in June 2017, the team was disbanded
• For 2015, NAVI won more than 40 awards, earning them more than $1,000,000 in awards
• 2016 - NAVI accounted for more than 35 championships and plus $1,400,000 in prize money.
• 2017 - NAVI selected the world title three times and earned $175,000.
• 2018 - At the FACEIT Major: London 2018 NAVI came second, losing in the final to Astralis.
• in 2019, the team won several regional championships as well as its tenth Pro League season, winning $100,000.
• 2020 - change of ownership. The cyber sports organization NAVI is bought by Maxim Vladimirovich Krippa.

A win at IEM Season IV and a $250,000 bonus.

• 2021 - victory in PGL Major Stockholm
• 2022 - Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and priorities changed.

Maxim Vladimirovich Krippa, being the owner of NAVI since 2020, orders to sever relations with all partners from the aggressor country, as well as disband the Russian rosters of PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends. The NAVI club teams up with opinion leaders, soccer players and the world's strongest CS:GO clubs, and together they manage to raise over $520,000 to help Ukraine. In addition, Born to Win participates in charity matches, including a collection for the Zemlyachki project and the BORN TO BE BRAVE tournament from the United24 Foundation.

To educate the cybersports community from around the world about the dire consequences of the war started by Russia against Ukraine, NAVI produced the documentary "Leaving Home" showing the stories of fans forced to leave their homes.