Frank interview with Alexei Kostylev: about money, life and music

I phoned Kostylev a few weeks before his birthday and asked him about his childhood, youth and plans for the future. And, of course, about the money he earns. Spoiler – revenues in NAVI do not play the most important role.

About quarantine and video games

– Alex, hi! Our interview starts on Saturday at 10 a.m. What are your plans for the weekend?

– I have a million things to do: go to the kitchen of Ninja Sushi, then to a meeting, you can drop in at some events, if there is something to do. Actually, Saturday is my business day, and on Sunday I rest. And I advise everyone to do so. I don’t even get colleagues with questions – even those who work 24/7.

On Saturdays, we usually work out some new dishes or shoot promotional videos, for example. If my friends hold some events, then we meet there, discuss something.

– Now around the world a coronavirus pandemic is raging, quarantine and self-isolation are everywhere. How is your isolation going?

– Since the beginning of quarantine – I don’t remember when it was – a lot of time has passed, and until that moment when it is weakened, I will observe it, as required by the rules. I respect the quarantine, although it is a bit fed up.

– What do you do in quarantine?

– Almost nothing has changed for me, except that I began to spend more time at home. We took interviews for our NAVI channel through Zoom, played with the guys in CS: GO, talked about some changes in e-sports and so on. We recorded movies in general. And my own business – food delivery – continued to work as before. That is, nothing has changed directly.

– How do you relax from work while staying at home?

– In general, I often play, especially in the evening or early in the morning. Mostly I play Call of Duty: Warzone. I really liked her, went straight in. Everything is completely new.

We play relatively well, as I see it from the outside. Once a day we can take the top-1. This is a really interesting game, there are many tactical opportunities, various elements of equipment. And the graphics – my God, finally the games are looking like something serious! With all due respect, I sometimes look at CS: GO and see how it grows with moss. It seems to me that Valve is afraid to change something in the game – because in this way it can lose its uniqueness. Still, this is such an arcade that everyone likes.

– What is your favorite game?

– Well, at the moment it’s Call of Duty: Warzone. In general, I always played in multiplayer, especially in Dota 2 and CS. But Dota has already gone far into the background. This is a team game, you need to make every effort to win, it is very energy-intensive. And the emotional background in the people who play it is very strange. Dota requires a lot of life resources, so I said goodbye to her.

As a child, I loved Ultima Online very much. It was just a divine game, we all trudged from it. They wrote macros, joined guilds and so on. I had the nickname “Alex Topazik.” Then I played a little in Warcraft, went through different studs like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Alone in the Dark.

Now there are so many games on the market that the choice is huge, and this is annoying. I now have a PS4, I buy games for it, and – I give you my word of honor – they are not even installed. For example, Red Dead Redemption 2 – how realistic it is, but I can only say about it: “Well, okay, beautiful.” But to capture me – no.

– So you have become more selective in this with age?

“Yes, well, I need action, so I can spend time with friends.” Then it will be fun to play. But, by the way, Warzone is the only game that I can sit alone. He also loved Dota Underlords very much, especially on business trips. The hotel sometimes sat playing with Sasha, with cameraman Kostyan. An interesting game, for me it is like chess. As a child, I played a lot in them with my grandfather. You can exhale – put your finger figures and sit waiting.

About age and further goals

– You are 33 years old. Have you managed to reach all goals by this age?

– Of course not. But I did not have any deadlines in terms of achieving goals. I have dreams, like all normal people, and I slowly realize them. You know, now I started to think – there were a lot of them, really. He wanted, like every man, to buy an apartment. And I bought it, a long time ago, before starting work at NAVI and before starting a business. It was still when he worked “for uncle”, let’s say so.

I dreamed very much about buying a Porsche – and bought it, I was satisfied. There is a feeling when you say to yourself: “Now I would have this now, and nothing more is needed.” It is not true. When you achieve something, this goal immediately loses value in your eyes, you begin to think: “Hmm, so it was not so difficult.”

From the last thing I wanted, I bought a two-story penthouse with a view of the Dnieper, the Mother Motherland. I want to make it cozy. Home is a place of power. Therefore, acquired now, even at the construction stage.

– Do you agree that from the age of 30 a man’s life is just beginning?

– To be honest, yes. I don’t know how it works for women, but 30 years is the best time for a man. This is the line when you gained some experience, when you went through all the important points in your career. It is important to accumulate this baggage by the age of 30.

In life, anything can happen. No one is safe from failure. But luck smiles on everyone in this life, and more than once. The main thing is not to miss this moment and make a lot of efforts so that something happens.

– Your further plans – to equip a new penthouse? Or something more?

– Yes, I have a million plans. In general, my story is purely about business. Besides the NAVI channel, I have Ninja Sushi roll delivery. I also open Wok delivery, plan to do a business selling seafood, wine, delicacies and so on. Then I will open the delivery of healthy nutrition. There are also plans to build a full-fledged Ninja Bar. We have a huge project, we worked on it for a long time, but the pandemic made adjustments, and it all rolled back a bit. Another idea of ​​a ticket service, but this is later.

There are many goals that I go to. I would like to visit all countries of the world. Although some, probably, I will skip, because there are different periods.

“Is there something you no longer hope to achieve?”

– Speaking of some spiritual goals, I would like to know how our planet and life as a whole were born. Someone came up with us, gave us arms and legs, allowed us to play games and eat delicious food. Sometimes I reflect on the topic of space and realize how small our galaxy is compared to it. It is interesting to know what is going on there. I also heard that we are the last mortal generation on the planet, and this also haunts me. (laughs). Because I love life incredibly.

– Would you like to live forever?

– Yes, I will not dissemble. And I’m sure many would like to. There are those who will surely say: “But I would not want to.” Phew dude, who are you telling? Life is wonderful. Fresh, oceans, in general, everything that happens is cool, it’s unique content (laughs). I can’t tell you how happy I am in the morning when I wake up. It’s very difficult for me to ruin my mood.

– How do you want to meet old age?

– Well, you know, as in the song: “House in Poland, two red“ Porsches ”” (laughs). In general, one of my goals is to build a beautiful country house. And already there to meet old age, so to speak, in a heavy suite (laughs). Because comfort is very important to me.

Before, I really wanted to have the opportunity at any time to break into any country. And, good, now I have earned enough to allow myself such a thing. In general, if the borders were open, I would already have breakfast somewhere in Paris or fell asleep in Italy. Because now even a trip to Odessa is very expensive. With the same money you can fly somewhere to Europe.

About childhood and youth

“Do you remember your childhood well?”

– Yes. I remember very well how we lived in Germany. I was really super small there, I don’t even know how old I was there. I well remember how we went to the same recreation center with mom and dad. Gathering flowers for mom, I thought what kind of candy I would give. We performed there with other children on March 8th. Germany for me is a very cool memory.

– How did your parents raise you?

– I have a very strict father, because he is a soldier. But now, when I am 33 years old, I can say thanks to him. He scolded me for what normal fathers scolded. He made me learn lessons, and didn’t let me go for a walk sometimes. And if I came late, they could close the door in front of me – I had to spend the night under the house or somewhere with friends. But all that is inside me now is he invested. Education, understanding.

My father always helped me with the lessons, sent me to English and math courses. That is, I was fully engaged in it. All that my parents could offer me for that period, they offered. When you are a teenager, it seems to you that your parents do not understand you, but in fact they understand everything. But sometimes they also may not understand something, of course.

– Mom was strict too?

“Yes, too.” For example, everyone in the school had parental meetings, and there are parents who always say: “Oh, my son is good, and you are all bad.” In my family, they looked at it differently. They immediately explained to me that the teacher is always right.

Or, for example, on Saturdays there were always two physical education classes and a community work day. And everyone walked in sportswear, then cleaned and headed home. But not me! In the morning I went to school in a jacket, with a tie, cufflinks and a square backpack. He polished shoes with shoe polish on the landing. Then he came, changed clothes, went to physical education and then to a community work day. They made me look neat. By the way, Sasha was brought up in the same way – we did not have any differences.

– As far as I remember from your past interviews, did you act on an actor?

– Yes, I studied at the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts, the faculty of film and television, and at the Kiev National University of Theater, Film and Television named after Karpenko-Kary. I graduated from a magistracy as a journalist, broadcaster and presenter of television programs. In Ukraine, these two concepts are combined at the same faculty. That is, we studied journalism, and how to behave properly in the frame.

I always wanted to be a TV presenter. But, in fact, now I look back at this young guy and I don’t even recognize myself.

“What would you say to this guy if you could face him now?”

“I would tell him to continue to do what he does.” Now I can say with confidence that I would not change a second of my life, that’s honest. Everything is as it should be.

About shooting in TV shows and movies

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