Higgsfield co-founder Alexander Mashrabov receives Kazakh citizenship, moves to renounce Russian passport

In brief

• Alexander Mashrabov, co-founder of AI video startup Higgsfield, received Kazakh citizenship by presidential decree signed October 30.
• He has reportedly applied to renounce Russian citizenship, as Kazakhstan bans dual nationality.
• Higgsfield raised $400 million in August at a $5.4 billion valuation and reported $700 million in annual revenue.

Kazakh passport granted by presidential decree

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on October 30 granting Kazakh citizenship to Alexander Mashrabov, according to Kazakhstan's Minister of Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev (Разбогатевший на ИИ миллиардер отказался от российского гражданства – Charter 97) (Миллиардер из России Александр Машрабов получил гражданство Казахстана. Он решил отказаться от российского паспорта – Meduza). Madiyev announced the move on Facebook and posted a photo of himself handing Mashrabov the passport.

Madiyev said the decision was meant to attract AI entrepreneurs to the country and praised Higgsfield for building an export product used by more than 40 million people. Officials have described the startup's growth as a significant achievement for Kazakhstan's AI sector.

Renouncing Russian citizenship

Kazakh law does not permit dual citizenship. A Higgsfield representative told Bloomberg that Mashrabov has submitted an application to renounce Russian citizenship.

Mashrabov has lived in the United States in recent years. His LinkedIn profile lists Los Angeles, while other reports place him in San Francisco and say he visits Kazakhstan several times a year.

Company background

Higgsfield was founded in 2023 by Mashrabov and Yerzat Dulat, a Kazakh machine learning researcher. The company makes AI tools for generating video content, aimed at creators, marketers and brands producing material for social media and advertising.

In August, Higgsfield raised $400 million from investors including DST Global, Goldman Sachs, Intel Capital and Liberty Global, valuing the company at $5.4 billion. Forbes reported that the company's annual revenue reached $700 million in August, up from $20 million a year earlier. Forbes had also planned to include Mashrabov in its list of Russian billionaires that month.