{{Short description|Ukrainian internet personality}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Use British English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Max Klymenko | image = SH3 3347 (54919096038) (cropped).jpg | caption = Klymenko in 2025 | birth_name = Maksym Klymenko | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|07|27|df=y}} | birth_place = | known_for = ''Career Ladder'' | education = {{plainlist| * London School of Economics * University of Southampton * Warwick Business School}} | occupation = Entertainer | years_active = 2018–present | website ={{URL|https://www.klymand.co}} | tiktok_handle = maxklymenko | tiktok_display_name = Max Klymenko | tiktok_followers = 9.6 million | youtube_handle = maxklymenko | youtube_display_name = Max Klymenko | youtube_subscribers = 4.06 million | youtube_views = 5.3 billion views | stats_update = 26 March 2026 }} '''Maksym "Max" Klymenko''' ({{IPA|en|klɪˈmɛn.koʊ|lang}}; {{langx|uk|Максим «Макс» Клименко}} {{IPA|uk|ˈmaksim kɫeˈmɛnkɔ||}}; born 27 July 1995) is a Ukrainian internet personality and educator, recording short videos for TikTok and YouTube, regarding career, business, brands and public issues. His most popular series, titled ''Career Ladder'', focuses on him attempting to guess careers of people met on the street under two{{nbsp}}minutes, while standing with them on a ladder. As of May 2026, Klymenko has 9.6 million followers on TikTok, and about 4.05{{nbsp}}million subscribers on YouTube. He is based in London, England.
==Early life and educations== Maksym "Max" Klymenko<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-14 |title=Ukrainian-Born Influencer Max Klymenko Takes Home TikTok UK’s Creator of the Year Title |url=https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukrainian-born-influencer-max-klymenko-takes-home-tiktok-uks-creator-of-the-year-title-13441 |access-date=2026-03-11 |website=UNITED24 Media |language=en}}</ref> was born on 27 July 1995,<ref name="bday">{{cite web |last1=Klymenko |first1=Max |title=Tomorrowland Career Ladder Remix for My 30th Birthday |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@maxklymenko/video/7531893376455626006 |website=TikTok |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref><ref name="bday_instagram">{{cite web |last1=Klymenko |first1=Max |title=Forgot this was the whole point 🪜 Thank you for your support pls never stop watching the videos as a bday gift to me 🎁 #careerladder #tomorrowland #tomorrowlandwithyoutube |url=https://www.instagram.com/maxoklymenko/reel/DMoNEsSIGic/ |website=Instagram |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref> and grew up in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.<ref name=usatoday>{{cite web|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/2025/08/12/career-ladder-max-klymenko-social-media-tiktok/85611786007/|title=Can he guess your job in 2 minutes? Meet Max, the man behind 'Career Ladder'|website=eu.usatoday.com}}</ref><ref name="yahoo">{{cite web |last=Hodunova |first=Kateryna |date=9 April 2024 |title=11 Ukrainians placed on Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/11-ukrainians-placed-forbes-30-125707105.html?guccounter=1 |website=The Kyiv Independent}}</ref> He has four degrees, in law, economics, business, and sociology, including from the University of Southampton, London School of Economics, and Warwick Business School.<ref name=usatoday/><ref name=liga/><ref name=forbes>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/max-klymenko/|website=forbes.com|title=Max Klymenko}}</ref> He formerly worked as a lawyer and a consultant.<ref name=liga/> His first job at the age of 13 was a comedian.
==Career== Max Klymenko began his social media creative career by writing a blog about artificial intelligence (AI), later also starting a podcast. In 2018, he started a YouTube channel, where he originally published videos about books and AI. He also founded an educational channel on TikTok.<ref name=liga>{{cite web|url=https://biz.liga.net/agritech/reklama-marketing/interview/ukrainskii-bloger-millionnik-esli-ty-sredi-10-luchshih-blogerov-ty-zarabatyvaesh-nichego|website=biz.liga.net|title=Украинский блогер-миллионник: 'Если ты среди 10% лучших блогеров, ты зарабатываешь ничего'|language=ru|author=Anastasia Ishchenko|date=26 December 2024|access-date=30 September 2025|archive-date=23 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123172819/https://biz.liga.net/agritech/reklama-marketing/interview/ukrainskii-bloger-millionnik-esli-ty-sredi-10-luchshih-blogerov-ty-zarabatyvaesh-nichego|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> Klymenko has created videos about careers, business, brands and public issues, garnering over 7.7{{nbsp}}million followers on TikTok, and 3.4{{nbsp}}million subscribers on YouTube, as of September 2025.<ref name=zn>{{cite web|url=https://zn.ua/CULTURE/bloher-iz-ukrainy-maks-klimenko-pretenduet-na-oskar-v-mire-kontenta.html|website=zn.ua|language=uk|title=Блогер из Украины Макс Клименко претендует на 'Оскар' в мире контента|date=14 August 2025}}</ref> In 2024, he began creating a series of short vertical videos, titled ''Career Ladder'', in which he stands on the back rungs of a ladder, inviting one guest at a time to stand on the front side, attempting to guess their career through a series of questions in under two{{nbsp}}minutes. Klymenko stated the format was created to discuss careers without the biases which accompany such conversations, including someone's appearance, income, status, and location.<ref name=usatoday/><ref name=liga/> The format was subsequently copied by numerous creators, becoming one of the most popular on TikTok.<ref name=liga/><ref name=zn/> In 2025, he was nominated for the Creator of the Year Award at the Creator Awards, the largest digital content creators' awards in the United Kingdom.<ref name=zn/>
In 2021, he also recorded a speech for TED Talk regarding social media.<ref name=liga/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/talks/max_klymenko_social_media_is_not_the_enemy|website=ted.com|title=Social Media is Not the Enemy|date=March 2021}}</ref>
Klymenko participated in aid campaigns for the Ukrainian refugees affected by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also funded 100 abortions for Ukrainian women in Poland, who were raped by Russian soldiers, citing and criticising laws which make it difficult for them to get treatment.<ref name=liga/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-tiktoker-pays-100-abortions-citing-rapes-by-russian-troops-2022-5?IR=T|title=A Ukrainian TikToker funded 100 abortions for Ukrainian women, citing laws that make it hard to get treatment if Russian soldiers rape them|first=Sinéad |last=Baker|website=businessinsider.com}}</ref> In March 2026, Klymenko held a short interview with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, during his visit to the United Kingdom.<ref name="zelenskyy_yt">{{cite web |last1=Klymenko |first1=Max |title=What I asked President Zelenskyy 🇺🇦 |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nMYT7SgaDTo |website=YouTube |access-date=21 March 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="zelenskyy_up">{{cite news |last1=Romanenko |first1=Valentyna |title=Zelenskyy on frontline situation: "We are almost at the same positions" – video |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/20/8026415/ |access-date=21 March 2026 |work=Ukrainska Pravda |date=20 March 2026 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2024, Klymenko was listed on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 list, in the Media and Marketing category.<ref name=yahoo/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/styler/hto-ukrayintsiv-uviyshov-spisok-forbes-30-1712761486.html#goog_rewarded|website=rbc.ua|language=uk|title=В список Forbes "30 в 30" вошло рекордное количество украинцев: запомните их имена|date=10 April 2024}}</ref> In 2025, he became a member of the NATO Youth Advisory Board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_233911.htm?selectedLocale=en|website=nato.int|title=NATO Youth Advisory Board programme kicks off following selection of members|date=27 March 2025}}</ref>
He is also the founder of KLYM&CO, a communications agency that provides consulting, strategy and production services to clients in 25{{nbsp}}countries, which includes the United Nations, World Wide Fund for Nature, NATO, Google, and Microsoft, among others.<ref name=liga/><ref name=yahoo/><ref name=forbes/>
==Personal life== Klymenko resides in London, England.<ref name=liga/><ref name=forbes/>
== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Awards and nominations for Klymenko !Year !Ceremony !Category !Nominated work !Result !{{Refh}} |- |2025 |TikTok Awards |Creator of the Year |Career Ladder | {{won}} |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rufo |first=Yasmin |date=November 13, 2025 |title=TikTok award winner Max: 'It takes me hours to make the content you scroll on the toilet' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17p1z5ppq8o |access-date=November 15, 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref> |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.youtube.com/@maxklymenko Max Klymenko] at YouTube * [https://www.tiktok.com/@maxklymenko?lang=en Max Klymenko] at TikTok {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Klymenko, Max}} Category:1995 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Southampton Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics Category:Alumni of Warwick Business School Category:British YouTubers Category:British TikTokers Category:British bloggers Category:British entertainers Category:21st-century British educators Category:21st-century British lawyers Category:British consultants Category:Educational and science YouTubers Category:Technology YouTubers Category:Ukrainian YouTubers Category:YouTubers from London Category:British podcasters Category:Science podcasters Category:Ukrainian bloggers Category:Ukrainian expatriates in England Category:Ukrainian TikTokers Category:Male bloggers Category:Science bloggers Category:21st-century science writers Category:People from Mykolaiv Category:Entertainers from London Category:Ukrainian entertainers Category:21st-century Ukrainian educators Category:Economics educators Category:Business educators Category:Online edutainment Category:Sociology educators Category:Computer science educators Category:Consultants Category:21st-century Ukrainian lawyers Category:Lawyers from London Category:Writers from Mykolaiv Category:Writers from London Category:21st-century Ukrainian male writers Category:21st-century British male writers