Gurhan Kiziloz and the Business of Speed: Behind Megaposta’s $1.45 Billion Growth Strategy

In 2022, Gurhan Kiziloz stepped away from fintech after facing financial setbacks and turned his focus toward online gaming. That shift led to the creation of Megaposta, a digital gaming platform launched under Nexus International, which quickly found traction in Brazil’s growing online betting and entertainment market.

Kiziloz’s choice of Brazil wasn’t just driven by market reports or strategic modeling. He has described it as a decision where both the personal and professional had a say, based on his affinity for the country’s culture and media environment. His team responded by investing heavily in traditional marketing, including offline channels like billboards and event sponsorships. The focus was on visibility and fast user acquisition rather than incremental growth. While many competitors in the sector leaned into performance marketing and gradual scale, Megaposta opted for a volume-based approach to building presence and brand familiarity.

This high-speed model is part of a broader operational style that defines Kiziloz’s leadership. He often makes decisions quickly and credits his team with executing the details. In interviews, he has been candid about prioritizing broad direction and delegation, at times focusing on the macro elements. This structure had previously raised concerns about sustainability, but so far, rapid growth has put to rest calls for a complete overhaul in operations.

Kiziloz says he treats risk as a recurring part of business rather than something to be avoided. “I bet the house every week,” he told one interviewer. While that phrasing may be figurative, it underscores how frequently his approach involves operating without a safety net. He views failure as an expected outcome of ambition, citing financial lows as part of his path rather than setbacks that derailed it.

In terms of international expansion, Kiziloz has expressed ambitions that go beyond Brazil. He has not named specific target markets but has repeatedly emphasized a goal of building Megaposta into a globally recognized gaming brand. The company has not shared an official roadmap for global rollout, and Kiziloz has indicated that he prefers to act first rather than disclose forward-looking plans publicly. “The whole world will see,” he said when asked about future developments.

Internally, the company matches Kiziloz’s fast pace. He has described his leadership as "a bit military" with what he calls a "sprinkle of love." He does not shy away from admitting that his work consumes most of his personal life. His routines are built around momentum: when setbacks happen, he responds by refocusing immediately, rather than slowing down for introspection. That philosophy extends across his companies, where the focus is less on revisiting what went wrong and more on accelerating what's next.

This pace is not without personal cost. Kiziloz has spoken openly about the isolation that can come with having large-scale goals that others don’t immediately understand. At the same time, he’s not looking for external validation. “I want to prove myself wrong,” he said, when asked whether critics fuel his motivation. He positions his ambition as internally driven, guided by personal benchmarks rather than industry comparisons.

Looking ahead, it remains to be seen how Megaposta’s momentum in Brazil will translate into sustained international growth. The gaming sector is competitive and subject to shifting regulations, local cultural nuances, and evolving user preferences. Whether the same high-speed strategy can be replicated across different regions is still an open question.

What is clear is that Megaposta's early performance has been shaped by a leadership style that prioritizes speed, energy, and an appetite for calculated risk. While Kiziloz’s approach may not fit conventional models, it has so far allowed the company to grow quickly in one of the most competitive gaming markets in Latin America. How that pace translates globally will likely define the next phase of both Megaposta and the founder behind it.