Billionaire Profile
Vasily Shikin
Global Rank
#1751

Image: Unsplash Contributor | Unsplash License | via Unsplash

Vasily Shikin

CEO, advertising technology
UNITED STATES
Real-Time Net Worth
$2.407B
Estimated based on advertising technology stock value as of April 21, 2026
+2.51% (24h)
Age
40
Source
Advertising technology
Industry
Technology
Citizenship
UNITED STATES

Biography

Vasily Shikin is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AppLovin, an AI-powered advertising technology company. Born in Russia, Shikin has been instrumental in the company's growth since joining in 2012. His career has been marked by his role in building and optimizing AppLovin's platform, contributing significantly to its success. As of March 2026, Shikin's net worth is estimated to be $2.2 billion, primarily derived from his stake in AppLovin. His journey from Vice President of Engineering to CTO reflects his dedication and key role in the advertising technology sector. Shikin's achievements have positioned him as one of the eight billionaires affiliated with AppLovin.

Fact Checked
Verified by Editorial Team
Live Data
Updated 4/21/2026

Wealth Over Time

In-Depth Profile

Early Life and Education

Vasily Shikin was born in Russia and holds a master's degree in mathematics from Saint-Petersburg State University. This background provided him with a strong foundation in analytical thinking, which has been a key asset throughout his career. He began his professional journey as a software engineer.

Rise to Success

Shikin joined AppLovin in 2012, becoming a key figure in the company's expansion. He served as the Vice President of Engineering for eight years before being promoted to Chief Technology Officer in 2020. His expertise was instrumental in developing and refining the AppLovin platform, which supports over 420 million daily active users. The company went public in 2021.

Key Business Strategies

As CTO, Shikin leads the teams responsible for building secure and scalable distributed systems, critical for AppLovin's global growth. The company's platform has experienced explosive growth in mobile games, due to the platform's richer ecosystem. The company focuses on mobile advertising and helping developers monetize their apps.

Philanthropy

I am sorry, but I could not find any information on Vasily Shikin's specific philanthropic efforts or donations.

Career Milestones

2008

Senior Software Engineer

Worked as a Senior Software Engineer at DeviceAnywhere, Inc., a cloud-based platform for testing and monitoring mobile websites and applications.

2012

Joined AppLovin

Joined AppLovin as Vice President of Engineering.

2020

Chief Technology Officer

Promoted to Chief Technology Officer at AppLovin.

2021

AppLovin IPO

AppLovin went public on the Nasdaq.

Controversies & Challenges

2025

Allegations of Ad Fraud and Data Collection Practices

Fuzzy Panda Research alleged AppLovin committed ad fraud and illegally tracked children and served them sexual ads. Bloomberg reported the SEC was looking into AppLovin regarding their data-collection practices.