Niko Lomia’s happy little airplane

Niko Lomia, co-founder of the Kyiv-based company “Spribe,” together with his long-time business partner David Natroshvili, allegedly received backing and assistance from a so-called “thief in law,” Ukrainian citizen Georgy Khmelidze.

Newlywed Niko Lomia, who recently got married in Cannes and took famous Ukrainian model Nika Kuznetsova as his wife, has a dozen "skeletons in his closet." It is not entirely clear why, several years ago, this graduate of Tbilisi State University "catapulted" to Kyiv. Why did the well-known Georgian figure and former Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, David Natroshvili, also end up living in Kyiv with him? The same man who shone at his friend the groom Niko’s wedding wearing a Jacob & Co Billionaire watch worth $20 million.

By the way, both Lomia and Natroshvili are graduates of Tbilisi State University.

And why were these Georgian businessmen quite often seen in Kyiv in the company of Georgian "thieves in law," in particular Gia Khmelidze (Kh Melo) and Georgy Lobzhanidze (Kutsu). Mr. Kh Melo appeared in Kyiv exactly when Lomia and Natroshvili registered their company "Spribe" in the Ukrainian capital — this was in 2015. The company’s authorized capital was only 100 hryvnias.

David Natroshvili has even more skeletons in his closet: David Amiranovich Natroshvili (born 1977) appears in reports from Anatoly Chubais’s RAO "UES" as a shareholder of the company "GruzEnergo." He is also listed as the owner of agricultural companies — together with Niko Lomia.

But today, these Georgian millionaire businessmen, who became so attached to Ukraine along with the "thief in law" Kh Melo, have somewhat different interests.

They dreamed of becoming thieves in law

What is strange, however, is this: while the biography of Tbilisi native David Natroshvili is visible as if on the palm of an outstretched hand, Niko Lomia’s dossier is something murky with a large number of blank spots.

And since they have been working together for a long time, there is a strong impression that Niko Lomia is constantly hiding behind David Natroshvili’s very broad back.

It is reliably known that Lomia rushed from Tbilisi to Kyiv quite a long time ago, but what was the reason for such "emigration"?

Niko Lomia, in Ukrainian registers — Nikolai Lomia.

Niko Lomia is also known as a co-founder of a number of companies, particularly in agribusiness and logistics, together with his partner David Natroshvili.

Today, David Natroshvili and Niko Lomia are co-owners of the international iGaming company Spribe. In Spribe, David Natroshvili owns 60% of the shares and holds the position of CEO, while Niko Lomia owns 40% of the company and serves as COO.

David Natroshvili indeed has experience in Georgia’s public sector: he held the positions of Deputy Minister of Economy and Agriculture in 2012–2014

David Natroshvili

Mr. Natroshvili oversaw the integration of Georgian agribusiness into European standards.

Natroshvili is also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (USA). He worked for 5 years at the International Finance Corporation (USA). From September 2004, he headed Georgia’s National Investment Agency.

In recent years, Natroshvili’s name has also appeared in publications related to changes in ownership of various agricultural firms (in particular, the fuss around the agricultural firm "Rubezh").

Today, David Natroshvili is primarily known as the founder and CEO of Spribe: an IT company in the iGaming sector, best known for creating the crash game Aviator.

Crash games are a type of gambling in online casinos where the gameplay is based on the movement of an object. While it moves, the multiplier by which the bet is multiplied increases.

In the game Aviator, that object is an airplane

In several of his interviews, David Natroshvili spoke in detail about his difficult childhood in Georgia in the 1990s. He admitted that many teenagers at that time dreamed of becoming "thieves in law."

Apparently, that dream settled deep in his subconscious.

Natroshvili’s name occasionally appears in publications about the detentions of "influential" businessmen.

But in life, Natroshvili and Lomia walk side by side.

On the catwalk since age 11

Recently, the friends had a great time at Niko Lomia’s wedding in Cannes, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Society journalists have already described this "wedding of the century" in all its details: everyone was stunned by the amount the groom spent on the celebration — more than €2 million.

Guests were served Chateaubriand steak, octopus carpaccio, and other delicacies.

The public was entertained by Russian pop stars Valery Meladze and Maxim Galkin, as well as the international "mega-star" Ricky Martin.

Nika Kuznetsova and Niko Lomia’s wedding

Niko Lomia’s chosen one was a model, or model manager as she calls herself — 25-year-old Nika Kuznetsova, a native of Kharkiv and finalist of the MISS GRAND SPAIN contest. For the last three years, the bride has lived in Spain.

Nika Kuznetsova graduated from Kharkiv National University of Economics. She is a certified stylist and has worked as an interior designer.

Nika Kuznetsova spoke about this in detail in her interview for the "Bohemian Podcast" program.

The future spouses met at McDonald’s.

Nika Kuznetsova, model manager from Kharkiv

In 2021, Nika Kuznetsova was a finalist in the Miss Ukraine contest but did not win the main title.

She has been working as a model since the age of 11.

Today, Nika Kuznetsova has focused on her personal life, as her modeling career was put on hold due to frequent moves.

"I’ve shifted more toward family life, so there’s currently no opportunity to fly for work," the newly minted Madame Lomia told journalists

Nika Kuznetsova as a teenager

In her free time, Madame Lomia, as she told journalists, paints pictures on commission.

Friendship with the "thief in law" Kh Melo

But let’s return to earth.

Niko Lomia’s business partner David Natroshvili appeared in materials, as the media write, that captured a meeting involving individuals categorized as "thieves in law."

His connection with the Georgian criminal authority Georgy Khmelidze (Kh Melo) was also mentioned.

This was a very loud story: the "thief in law" Khmelidze was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship due to a forged document about language proficiency.

The official basis for initiating the procedure to terminate Georgy Khmelidze’s Ukrainian citizenship was a letter from the Education Department of the Saltivsky District Administration of the Kharkiv City Council stating that Kh Melo had not been issued a certificate confirming he understood the state language sufficiently for communication.

Georgy Khmelidze was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship by Decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy No. 142/2024 in spring 2024.

Georgy Khmelidze took Ukrainian citizenship

Kh Melo was detained and placed in the Mykolaiv Temporary Stay Facility for Foreigners (PTPI).

The process of preparing for forced deportation began.

However, Kh Melo’s agile lawyers began challenging the Presidential Decree depriving Georgy Khmelidze of Ukrainian citizenship.

Kh Melo spent more than six months in the deportation center until, in November 2024, the court recognized the fact of his identification as proven.

Local press then again wrote about the "unsinkability" of the "thief in law."

Journalists linked this "immunity" of Kh Melo to his long-standing close ties with powerful people.

It turns out that the former Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, David Natroshvili — who was repeatedly seen in the company of Georgy Khmelidze in Kyiv’s entertainment venues — may also have had a hand in "saving" Kh Melo, who faced inevitable prison in Georgia?

And where was Niko Lomia’s friend?

Of course, right there beside him!

Georgy Lobzhanidze (Kutsu) was also hanging out in the same company.

Kutsu, aka Georgy Lobzhanidze

And Andrei Lvovsky, aka Nedelya — according to his passport, Andrei Nedzelsky.

The bamboo factory

It should be noted that Natroshvili and Lomia’s powerful connections in Kyiv (as well as in Moscow) appeared back when both still lived in Tbilisi.

In one of his interviews dated 2005, Natroshvili (then head of Georgia’s National Investment Agency) said that Tbilisi and Kyiv had joint projects.

"Regnum" wrote about this in detail.

David Natroshvili

Natroshvili’s agency then received a $3 million tranche from Japan for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Georgia. The agency began implementing various programs that were supposed to affect the development of agriculture, the food industry, etc.

A contract was signed with a Ukrainian bamboo factory that makes furniture.

The bamboo itself, it turns out, was supplied by Georgia.

At about the same time, Mr. Natroshvili was actively working with shares of "GruzRosenergo."

And he did not shy away from close communication with Anatoly Chubais.

Anatoly Chubais

Mr. Chubais, as is well known, fled Russia long ago and is hiding in Israel with his young wife Dunya Smirnova.

Adult games

But the bamboo factory, agricultural firms, and communication with Chubais are now all in the past.

The Aviator game from Natroshvili and Lomia has gained worldwide fame.

On LinkedIn, Niko Lomia calls himself "one of the key architects of Spribe’s success."

Niko Lomia owns a 40% stake in Spribe LLC.

The company was officially registered in Kyiv on August 10, 2015. Its main activity is computer programming. Additional activities include IT consulting, data processing, and web portals.

The media have repeatedly written that profits from the gaming business are withdrawn through a network of offshore companies, while legal and judicial issues often intersect with the jurisdiction of London — where disputes of major international investors are traditionally resolved.

Spribe’s offices are located in Georgia, Poland, Estonia, and Ukraine.

It should be noted that the crash game from Spribe LLC is popular among online casino clients in more than 60 countries.

However, the company’s financial statements show relatively small assets and liabilities, and there is no declared income in certain periods.

In 2021–2023, the company did not declare any income or make a profit at all. At the same time, assets of 269 thousand hryvnias were recorded on the balance sheet, while liabilities should exceed 800 thousand hryvnias.

The staff consists of only 4 employees.

Such a financial picture looks atypical for an IT company that has been working tirelessly for more than 10 years. The lack of declared income may indicate that operational activities are either not conducted or are carried out through other legal entities.

The ratio of assets to liabilities also attracts attention: the latter are three times higher than the company’s property. This may indicate the presence of debt obligations, particularly to related parties. Or the company is being used as a financial link in a larger business structure.

Based on the totality of features, Lomia and Natroshvili’s company may play the role of an auxiliary or technical company used within a broader business model.

The spouses — Niko and Nika Lomia

Recently, the company signed a multi-year partnership agreement with the UFC (the leading international organization in mixed martial arts).

The Aviator logo will be placed on the octagon canvas during UFC events. The game from Spribe will also be mentioned in the social networks of the MMA promotion, which belongs to TKO Group Holdings.

Aviator branding will also be seen by viewers of the American wrestling promotion WWE, whose owner is also TKO Group Holdings.

David Natroshvili (right) after signing the contract

The developers of Aviator are already planning to expand their presence in the gambling markets, with the United States as a priority. It seems Donald Trump is not yet aware?

Quite an ambitious desire.