- Source of Wealth: Business (IPG Photonics)
- Age: 80
- Birth Place: Russia, USSR
- Marital Status: Married
- Full Name: Valentin P. Gapontsev
- Nationality: Russian and American
- Date of Birth: February 23, 1939
- Ethnicity: Russian
- Occupation: Founder, CEO, and Chairman of IPG Photonics
- Education: Lviv Polytechnic National University and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
- Children: 1 (Denis)
Recognized as the father of the fiber-laser technology in 2009, Valentin Gapontsev is the founder, CEO, and chairman of IPG Photonics. which he founded in 1990. The company, which was founded in Russia but now operates in a global level, specializes on manufacturing fiber amplifiers and fiber lasers. The company also developed optical fiber lasers which are commonly used in a wide range of applications which include medical applications, telecommunications, and materials processing. Valentin Gapontsev has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion.