Gurhan Kiziloz has disclosed he was bankrupted approximately five times before building Nexus International to $1.2 billion in annual revenue and accumulating a $1.7 billion personal net worth. The Turkish-British entrepreneur confirmed these figures in an interview with Gulf News, marking his first public discussion of both his bankruptcy history and his current financial position.
Kiziloz stated he deliberately kept his recent success private until now, explaining that his bankruptcies played out publicly and he wanted his comeback to be equally public. He indicated a desire for the next generation of entrepreneurs to see that business success remains possible after multiple bankruptcies and without venture capital funding.
The entrepreneur’s path to the $1.7 billion net worth began in fintech, where he founded Lanistar. When seeking funding for Lanistar, venture capitalists rejected his requests, citing his bankruptcy history. Kiziloz stated that this rejection prompted his decision to become his own venture capitalist rather than continuing to seek external investment.
He subsequently shifted from fintech to gaming, citing excessive regulation in the financial technology sector. Kiziloz stated that gaming offers a more straightforward operational environment requiring licensing, funding, and execution without the regulatory complexity that characterizes fintech.
Nexus International, the parent company of Spartans.com, Megaposta, and Lanistar, generated $1.2 billion in revenue for 2025. Kiziloz maintains 100% ownership of Nexus International, having funded expansion through retained earnings rather than external capital. This ownership structure preserved complete control whilst building the company from his fintech background to current gaming operations.
Kiziloz clarified that his $1.7 billion represents net worth rather than valuation. He stated that most of this wealth exists in non-liquid form, noting that the figure becomes meaningful only when converted to cash. The net worth derives from his complete ownership of Nexus International and accumulated earnings from the company’s operations.
The entrepreneur indicated he will not consider external capital unless offers exceed one billion dollars and come in fully liquid form. This position reflects the independence he gained by self-funding Nexus International after venture capitalists rejected his earlier funding requests.
Kiziloz stated that the $1.2 billion revenue figure does not represent a milestone for Nexus International. He identified $100 billion in scale as his target, indicating that current operations represent an intermediate stage rather than an endpoint in his business plans.
The disclosure of his bankruptcy history alongside current financial success represents a departure from typical entrepreneur narratives that minimize or omit business failures. Kiziloz explicitly stated that he wants his comeback story to be public to demonstrate that multiple bankruptcies do not preclude subsequent business success.
Spartans.com, operating under Nexus International, competes against established gaming operators, including bet365 and Stake. The platform focuses exclusively on casino gaming and has contributed to the company’s revenue growth. Kiziloz committed $200 million to Spartans.com expansion from accumulated earnings.
The entrepreneur’s shift from fintech to gaming occurred after concluding that financial technology regulation creates excessive barriers to operational execution. He stated that gaming offers clearer regulatory frameworks that enable faster business development.
Kiziloz’s journey from multiple bankruptcies to $1.7 billion net worth spans both fintech and gaming sectors. The transition from rejected funding requests at Lanistar to complete ownership of a $1.2 billion revenue gaming company represents a reversal that he now chooses to make public alongside his earlier failures.
