Anton Khomenok, Founder of X6 GROUP

Publication date: 17 March 2026

Here is a personal story of breaking into the traffic and iGaming industries: from earning his first money as a teenager to building his own CPA network and agency. On 3S.INFO, in the iGaming Heroes section, read the story of a journey from sports to media buying — a series of trials and errors with people and teams, a conscious shift to “white” approaches, and the realization that in the long run, it’s not loud words that win, but reputation, adaptability, and strong working relationships. Meet, honestly and frankly, Anton Khomenok — founder of X6 GROUP, Member of the Guild of Marketers of the Russian Federation, and author of a YouTube podcast on high-risk niches!

– How did you get started? How old were you, what was your first income, and when did you realize you needed to get into media buying?

I’ve been working with traffic for over 10 years. My first project started when I was 17. At that time, I was living at a hockey base in Penza and playing for the professional team Dizel. My salary was around 21,000 rubles, and it quickly became clear that this money only covered the bare essentials. I wanted more — a normal life, freedom, the ability to afford something beyond just sports.

At some point, a guy came to stay at our base who was into sports predictions and promoted them on Instagram*. I saw how it worked and decided to try it myself, but on Telegram. My first investment in advertising was about 700 rubles. Within the first month, I managed to earn around 150,000 rubles.

Then came my own projects on Telegram, info products, and various tests. Essentially, I was doing media buying before it was even called that. Over time, some niches burned out, but the experience stayed with me.

In 2024, an iGaming product reached out to me with an offer to run traffic for them. That’s how I consciously entered affiliate marketing. I started out as a buyer, then began building a team. That’s how X6 AGENCY came to be, followed by the X6 PARTNERS CPA network, and later X6 MEDIA: partnerships, podcasts, channels — everything we’re developing now.

– Who had the biggest influence on your professional development? Was there a person or a situation that significantly changed your direction?

The first person who really brought me into the industry was Dmitry Nok. We met by chance. He was living in Greece at the time. Over time, we became not just partners, but friends. Basically, he became my guide to the industry and opened my eyes to many things.

If we’re talking more broadly, I’m constantly influenced by people in the industry. I ask a lot of questions, and I still do to this day. In the same way, I try to help those who come to me for advice.

There wasn’t just one defining turning point. You’re constantly bumping up against people — partners, employees, situations. Every interaction shifts your direction just a little. Over the last two and a half to three years in this industry, that’s been happening constantly.

– What personal qualities helped you grow and establish yourself in the market? And which quality, on the contrary, most often held you back?

First and foremost — integrity and openness. I always say things as they are. If everything’s good — great. If things are bad, I say so directly and ask for help figuring it out.

Besides those qualities, I should also mention perseverance, working practically 24/7, ambition, and a desire to grow. From the very beginning, we placed our bet on “white” approaches: no scams, no black hat schemes. We’re building a real business, not chasing temporary trends.

What most often got in the way was trust and kindness. A lot of people want to take advantage of that. They talk a good game, but in reality, they’re only thinking about their own interests. That’s probably the lesson I’ve had to learn most often.

– What was your most painful mistake? What did you learn from it?

Honestly, every mistake is painful for me. I experience any situation where something goes wrong very intensely. I care deeply about what I do, the team, and the business, so I replay every failure in my head for a long time.

Over time, this taught me the main thing — to worry less. There will be plenty of mistakes, and that’s normal. I used to panic over them, but now I’ve become calmer. Every mistake makes you a little stronger.

– Growing a team is always about compromises. What did you personally have to give up for the sake of scale? Was there a moment when you doubted whether it was worth it?

When I first entered the industry two and a half years ago, I had a poor understanding of the kind of people I needed. In the first year, I completely renewed the team four or five times.

People seemed to fit the formal job responsibilities, but they didn’t match in terms of pace, mindset, or expectations. It was only through those mistakes that I came to understand who we need here and now. Now we have a solid core team that we’re moving forward with.

There are always doubts. Every day you’re thinking: should you hire someone or not, invest time and money into a project or not. The market is tough, constantly changing, and there’s no such thing as a decision without doubts.

– Was there a stage in your career when you were truly afraid — not for the money, but for your reputation or the team?

I wouldn’t say there was one specific moment when I was truly terrified. There have been difficult situations such as problems with teams, communication, and partners. Sometimes I had to part ways with people entirely and handle tasks on my own.

There have also been negative reviews and unpleasant moments. But these are just work situations that you learn from.

To be honest, the only real fear I have is for the team — picturing them without me. Their stability, their future. That’s it, that’s the one.

– In media buying, people often sell a beautiful picture of success. What do you look at with irony or skepticism? What do you think is most often embellished?

I’ve long been skeptical of conspicuous success. It used to seem like if someone was constantly at conferences and on social media, they must be really making money. But when you get to know them, it often turns out that behind the facade, things are completely different.

There were cases where I thought people were strong specialists and wanted them on the team, but in reality, we parted ways within the first month.

To my mind, real success is when a person doesn’t have to be in the spotlight, doesn’t have to go to conferences, can just live peacefully, be happy, and earn steadily. You usually don’t see those people in the industry at all.

What gets embellished the most are results and income. People who are genuinely making money tend not to broadcast it. I’m close to the idea that happiness loves silence.

– How has media buying changed in recent years? What is really dying out, and what remains unchanged? Who will succeed in the coming years?

Those who refuse to adapt are dying out. Those who keep working with the old approaches, without changing their mindset, pace, or business structure.

The market has accelerated significantly. To survive and grow, you have to constantly evolve. Those who know how to adapt will win — teams and people with a flexible mindset.

– If you were building a team from scratch today, what would you do differently?

I would have been much more careful with hiring.
I would have laid out the strategy from the very beginning, clearly understood who I needed and why, and made more balanced decisions.

And I definitely wouldn’t have hired employees whose resumes are so wrapped up in NDAs that you can’t tell what they actually did.

– What keeps you in iGaming and affiliate marketing to this day?

The industry itself brought me here, and that’s what keeps me here. And I like it.

I’m interested in it from the perspective of business processes, scaling, competition, and growth. I’m a marketer first, and an entrepreneur second. As a marketer, I could always earn on my own, solo.

But iGaming specifically offers scale, complex markets, a fast pace, and a constant challenge.

Do you keep up with what’s happening in iGaming? Moving on: from seasoned pros to legends. Let’s share experiences, dig into tactics, and go behind the scenes. Talking about everything that matters, no fluff. We’re waiting for your thoughts!

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*Meta Corporation has been recognized as an extremist organization in Russia. The Instagram social network has been blocked in Russia by a court decision.