Ruslan Kogan

Ruslan Kogan's Biography

Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, having created and run many successful businesses. He is one of the pioneers of online retail in Australia, and his Internet ventures have expanded to include a global footprint. His companies have operations in Australia, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, with much more international expansion planned. His tremendous success has made him Australia's wealthiest self-made person under the age of 30.

Ruslan grew up in the Elsternwick commission flats in Melbourne, and was interested in technology at an early age, building his first computer at the age of nine. He started working for himself when he was just ten, by finding lost golf balls, cleaning them, repackaging them, and selling them to golfers at Elsternwick Golf Course. He has started over 20 businesses since the age of 10, with Kogan being his most successful.

He attended Melbourne High School before going on to complete a Bachelor of Business Systems (Information Technology) at Monash University. By the age of 23 Ruslan had worked at the IT departments of Bosch, GE, Telstra, and was a management consultant at Accenture. Disappointed that he couldn't personally afford the latest LCD TV technology, Ruslan started Kogan in his parent's garage and has gone on to grow it into a multinational consumer electronics and online retail business.

Kogan manufactures and sells a wide range of high demand consumer electronics items direct to shoppers around the world through its online-only store. Kogan is Australia's only international consumer electronics brand, and the number one selling Australian owned LED and LCD TV brand.

His company has been in a constant war of words with Australian retailers Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi, and the UK's Currys and John Lewis. Ruslan Kogan has time and time again successfully exposed the shady underbelly of traditional bricks and mortar stores. His open and transparent approach to retail has changed the way people all around the world transact.

Ruslan Kogan believes technology can make the world a better place, and Kogan's goal is to make it more affordable for everyone.

Awards won:

• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• Virgin Australia 2011 Top Guns in Tech
• SmartCompany 2011 Hot 30 Under 30
• 2010 Charter Security Retail Innovator of the Year
• My Business 2010 Best Young Gun in Business
• BRW 2010 Fast 100 List BRW 2010 Fast Starters List, 2010 Young Rich List
• BRW 2009 Fast Starters List, 2009 Young Rich List
• The Age Top 100 most influential people in Melbourne
• T3 magazine most influential people in technology 
• Anthill Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs