Why Yagub Rahimov Says Capitalism Is the Only Framework for Trust in AI
Yagub Rahimov, CEO and founder of Polygraf AI
Yagub Rahimov grew up in Azerbaijan in the uncertain years that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. He saw how communism destroyed initiative and left entire generations behind. His outlook shifted when he earned a U.S. State Department FLEX scholarship and moved to California for high school. Living with American families exposed him to a system where capitalism and freedom were daily realities.
That spark grew brighter in 2006, when he attended a libertarian summer camp in Bakuriani, Georgia. Mentors like Ken Schoolland and Lobo Tigre helped him see how voluntary exchange and free thought could do what central planning never achieved: organize people and drive prosperity. Three years later, Yagub launched his first venture, a machine learning-powered social trading platform that connected rookie investors with verified professionals. He quickly learned that price signals and competition are teachers far more effective than any theory. Two more bootstrapped companies followed, and the lesson deepened: success required putting skin in the game, listening to customers, and keeping feedback cycles tight.
Today, as CEO and founder of Polygraf AI, Yagub applies those same principles to the frontier of artificial intelligence. The company develops locally deployed, explainable small language models that enforce privacy, integrity, and accountability. The business reflects his philosophy. Trust is earned by solving the hardest problems, and customers pay for what works.
Yagub’s alignment with capitalism is both practical and personal. In business, it means competing on value, keeping promises enforceable, and iterating based on what clients actually use. In life, it means supporting independent education, investing in nonprofits aligned with his values, and joining forces with leaders who share a pragmatic commitment to freedom and innovation. At Polygraf AI, these principles guide everything. Hiring is based on ownership, not credentials. Products are designed with privacy first, giving customers more control. Success is measured by what people use, renew, and recommend.
Advocacy for capitalism, Yagub believes, is less about strategy and more about living fully within one’s values. His recent work with Bill Kline and the Academy for Capitalism in Chicago reflects this. After hearing Yagub’s talk at the 2024 Principled Business Summit in New York, Bill invited him to address students at the Academy where Yagub’s message of integrity, competition, and purpose matter more than slides, resonated and led him to join the Academy’s board. Yagub now helps prepare our future leaders.
For Yagub, the United States remains the best environment for business to thrive. As an immigrant entrepreneur and someone who has lived in many parts of the world, Yagub sees the U.S. as unmatched in its ability to welcome immigrants, enable them to build companies, create wealth, and feel at home within a few short years. That possibility exists, he argues, because of the founding vision of liberty, justice, and capitalism, a vision that continues to make equality and opportunity real.
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