Arkady Volozh

Arkady Volozh is founder and CEO of Nebius, the AI cloud that emerged in 2024 when the former Yandex N.V. holding company finished splitting from its Russian businesses. Best known as the principal founder and former CEO of Yandex, he now runs Nebius from an international base focused on compute for model builders.

Building Yandex

Born in Kazakhstan and trained in applied mathematics in Moscow, Volozh co-founded search and related companies that became Yandex, serving as CEO as it grew into one of Europe's largest internet groups and a major Nasdaq listing. He also helped establish data-analysis education programs tied to the company's machine-learning culture.

Exit, sanctions, and the Nebius restart

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine he left Yandex leadership under EU sanctions (later lifted), condemned the war publicly, and oversaw the holding company's divestment of Russian assets. The remaining international business relaunched as Nebius Group, with Volozh as CEO of an AI infrastructure company that has since announced multi-billion-dollar cloud deals with major U.S. technology firms.