Gary Vaynerchuk — entrepreneur with roots in the USSR
Gary Vaynerchuk (b. 1975, Babruysk, Belarusian SSR) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and media personality who built a digital media empire from his family's New Jersey wine business. He co-founded VaynerMedia and became one of the most recognized voices in social media marketing.
"Emigrated from Babruysk, Belarusian SSR to New Jersey, USA in 1978, age three."
Migration storyTracing the roots — Babruysk (Belarus)
Vaynerchuk emigrated from the Soviet Union to the United States in 1978 at age three, part of a wave of Belarusian-Jewish families fleeing ideological and antisemitic constraints. He has credited the scarcity and pragmatism of his Soviet-era upbringing with shaping his relentless work ethic.
Babruysk (Belarus). At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.