1xBet Co-Founder Sergey Karshkov Dies From Suspicious Allergic Reaction

Sergey Karshkov, the billionaire co-founder of online bookmakers 1xBet, is the latest Russian oligarch to die in mysterious circumstances, allegedly falling prey to an rare medical reaction to gadolinium.

The 42-year-old former cybercrime boss was on Russia’s international wanted list after being accused of illegal gambling activities and money laundering through 1xBet.

His death occurred in a Swiss hospital, having reportedly suffered a rare reaction to gadolinium, the contrast dye used in MRI scans. His passing was a complete shock to his close friend, Pavel Muntyan, who shared news of Karshkov’s death on Facebook.

Although the allergic reaction that killed Karshkov is not unknown in medical history, his death adds fuel to the conspiracy theory that prominent, often anti-authoritarian/anti-Putin Russian businesspeople are being murdered.

A string of sudden and entirely unexpected deaths has plagued Russia’s rich, the causes ranging from multiple high-rise and cliff suicide plunges, to speedboat accidents and shootings, to poisoning, including from toad venom.

Kiev-born Karshkov moved to Russia, where he gained a prominent position within Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, leading a regional department for combating cybercrime.

Karshkov founded online gambling company 1xBet in 2007, basing it in Cyprus and operating under a Curaçao eGaming License. With Russian authorities clamping down on internet gambling, Karshkov relocated to the Mediterranean island in 2016.

Both he and his business partner, Roman Semikhoin, faced accusations of conducting unauthorized operations and operating without a license in Russia.

However, Semikhoin claimed to Forbes magazine in 2021 that their move to Cyprus was planned several years before the Russian authorities came knocking.

“We are number one in Africa, we are in the top three in Latin America,” said Semikhoin, adding that building an international project outside of Russia was “more comfortable.”

Arrested in absentia, the pair were added to an international wanted list, and the 1xBet company also found itself facing bankruptcy troubles in Curaçao last year.

Allegations of failing to pay out winnings and huge unpaid tax bills dogged the company in recent months and Karshkov’s untimely death will only add to its problems.