Founder of Russian IT group involved in user monitoring dies at 40
Anton Cherepennikov, the founder of the group of IT companies ICS Holding, died in Russia at the age of 40 (Photo:Wikipedia)
Anton Cherepennikov, who founded ICS Holding (X-Holding), a group of IT companies known for their involvement in tracking Internet users, died at the age of 40, Russian media outlets reported on July 22.
The cause of death has been attributed to cardiac arrest.
Cherepennikov was notably associated with the implementation of a law concerning the isolation of Runet (the websites in the top-level . ru domain). Additionally, he served on the board of directors of Russian telecommunications company Megafon and owned the eSports team Virtus.pro until 2019.
On February 25, 2023, Cherepennikov and his holding were included in the U.S. sanctions list.
ICS Holding is a diversified holding of technology companies, which, among others, includes data storage systems and server manufacturer KNS Group (Yadro brand), operational intelligence developer Citadel, and information security solutions developer Garda Technologies, which works on the private global satellite constellation Bureau 1440.
UK tabloid The Sun previously reported the deaths of over 40 prominent Russian figures, including oligarchs, scientists, and even generals, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Among these deaths, some have raised suspicions due to their unusual circumstances, often being labeled as suicides with any traces being swiftly erased.
On June 12, Aleksandr Kolodich, 58, a lawmaker in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District, was found buried in the basement of his house. His body had stab wounds.
Colonel Vadim Boyko, 44, passed away on November 16, 2022, reportedly from five gunshot wounds in his office, classified as a suicide.
Russian politician Pavel Antov, 65, was found dead in a hotel on December 26. His death occurred shortly after he criticized Putin's war against Ukraine.
On May 20, 2023, Russia's Deputy Science Minister Pyotr Kucherenko, 46, who privately opposed Putin's invasion of Ukraine, passed away unexpectedly due to illness while returning from Cuba.
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