Alexander Gerko (born 3 December 1979) is a Russian billionaire financial trader and founder of XTX Markets based in the United Kingdom. Gerko has Ph.D. in mathematics and wrote several research papers including one that testing market timing for trading. As of 2025, Gerko net worth is estimated at US$13.0 billion according to Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index.[1][2]
Born in Russia to a Russian Jewish[3] family, he has a Bachelors degree and a Master of Science all in Mathematics from Moscow State University; Ph.D in Mathematics from Moscow State University; Master of Economics, New Economic School .[4] Initially, Gerko started his career trading equities at Deutsche Bank in 2004, and then moved into foreign exchange trading.[5]
In January 2015, Gerko founded XTX Markets, an algorithmic trading company that uses algorithms to trade the difference in market prices across a variety of venues.[6][7] Gerko holds a 75 per cent majority interest in the company.[7]
In 2022, the company reported a 64% increase in profits to £1.1 billion.[5]
Gerko set up a family office called Cromulon Capital in 2024.[8]
Philanthropy
Since 2020 Gerko has donated £25 million to out-of-class maths clubs, through the Axiom Maths charity (formerly Mathematics Education for Social Mobility and Excellence), which Gerko set up.[9][10]
Personal life
Gerko moved to the UK in 2006.[6] He is married to Elena, an economist at the Bank of England. The couple and their three children live in North London.[11] In 2022, Gerko renounced his Russian citizenship after a lengthy legal process.[11] He is a British citizen.[6]
As of 2025, Gerko's net worth is estimated at US$.10.1 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.[5][12]
In January 2024, he was named as the largest taxpayer in the UK by the Sunday Times Tax List, paying £664.5 million in tax.[13] In the Sunday Times Rich List 2024 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK he was placed 12th with an estimated net worth of £12.055 billion.[14] In July 2024 Gerko lost a legal appeal against HM Revenue & Customs regarding the taxation of a deferred payment plan from his time at hedge fund GSA Capital between 2010 and 2015. The Court of Appeal ruled that Gerko and other traders should pay income tax on their share of trading profits, rather than the lower corporation tax rate they had argued for.[15]
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