Billionaire Mashrabov granted Kazakhstani citizenship

Alexander Mashrabov, CEO and co-founder of Higgsfield, a popular generative AI platform, has been granted Kazakhstani citizenship by decree of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and minister of artificial intelligence and digital development, personally presented the Kazakhstani passport to the businessman.

Kazakhstan gains another billionaire

Madiyev congratulated Mashrabov on obtaining citizenship, noting that AI development is one of Kazakhstan’s top priorities. This is why it is in the country’s interest to attract talent capable of creating the technologies of the future.

«I would like to thank the entire Higgsfield team for their contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s AI industry. You have created an export product that is in high demand on the global market, with over 40 million users. This is a significant achievement,» Madiyev wrote on Instagram.

The official noted that Mashrabov’s success serves as a powerful example for young people in Kazakhstan, demonstrating that it is possible to develop world-class technologies, compete with leading global companies and capture international markets while based in Kazakhstan.

«Thank you for your trust in Kazakhstan and for your decision to become our fellow citizen. We look forward to working with you to cultivate talent, develop new products and strengthen Kazakhstan’s technological potential,» the minister said.

Who is Alexander Mashrabov?

According to Forbes, Mashrabov graduated from a physics and mathematics lyceum in Chelyabinsk before moving to Moscow to enroll at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). He began his IT career at Yandex, where he helped develop and improve the company’s search engine.

After Mashrabov won a coding olympiad, entrepreneur Viktor Shaburov suggested that he launch his own tech business. Together, they founded AI Factory, a startup focusing on computer vision and technologies for altering appearances in videos. In 2020, the American company Snap Inc. acquired AI Factory for $166 million. That same year, Mashrabov was included in the Forbes «30 Under 30» list in the «Science and Technology» category.

After the acquisition, Mashrabov joined Snap Inc., where he worked on integrating various technologies into the Snapchat messaging app — including the Cameo feature — and later led the company’s generative AI division. Subsequently, he returned to entrepreneurship, launching a new international startup called Higgsfield AI.