Trifonov Corporation

''KT - Где небо безгранично. (TC - Where the sky is limitless.)'' - Motto

Trifonov Corporation (Корпорация Трифонов, Korporatsiya Trifonov), shortly known as TrifoCorp, KT, or TC, is a corporate entity specializing in air defense forces, aircraft manufacturing, aerospace engineering and research, and scientific development. It is aimed at creating advanced technology in aircraft, satellites, and rockets for governmental and corporate clients, while enhancing social development in vocational education and STEM research.

History and Development
Trifonov Corporation was a Russian manufacturing company, established and controlled by brothers Stefan Vyacheslavich Trifonov Sr., who was President until his retirement and currently the CEO Emeritus, and Vasily Vyacheslavich Trifonov, who became the succeeding President and CEO after his older brother conceded from the power struggle and retired.

Established in Russia during its USSR days, Trifonov Corporation was a state-owned corporation when it's partially owned by the federal government for the development of air defense forces and aircraft manufacturing. During the period of détente in the Space Race and the waning power of the state, Stefan converted TC from a state-owned corporation to a public joint-stock company and started new production from scratch, leaving their former assets remained in the hands of the federal government. Due to Stefan Trifonov and some of the pioneering members' military participation on the Soviet side in the Vietnam War, Trifonov Corporation couldn't build their business in America.

After its development as an independent corporation, TC gained a sales contract with Kaiba Corporation from a distribution of TC's shares on Gozaburo Kaiba and his Board of Directors and a distribution of KC shares and assets on Stefan and other TC representatives. Gozaburo wanted the advanced technology that TC created during the Space Race, including its extensive catalog of satellites, aircraft, and supercomputers. With Kaiba Corporation, Stefan and other TC representatives transferred to Japan and built a separate branch of TC in northern Japan.

Even though Kaiba Corporation and TC accomplished as international pioneers of the development of virtual supercomputers and aerospace defense in their early years together, the intense need of materials is greater than its total production, and TC faced liability and contract issues with Kaiba Corporation, up to the point of KC's lawsuit against TC. Due to the economic downturn in TC, Stefan voided his contract with Kaiba Corporation, and this caused a financial crisis in Kaiba Corporation and an economic crisis in Trifonov Corporation.

After the dissolution of its partnership between Kaiba Corporation due to Stefan's personal injury from Gozaburo Kaiba and KaibaCorp's lawsuit against TC due to the company's lack of resources, the company had developed more resources and advanced technology from contracts with chief material companies in Russia, Germany, and Hong Kong that it became one of the largest companies in the Russian Federation. Furthermore, it became internationally successful to make more branches in Brazil, Switzerland, and India. After Kaiba Corporation was rebuilt with its new market focus on gaming and its new leadership being unaware of TC's history with them, TC started to rebuild its previous branch in Nagoya, Japan and make it as its headquarters, gaining new recruits and interns through the establishment of Trifonov Institute of Aerospace Research and Aviation (TIARA) in Japan and its sister school, Acardi Academy in Italy.

TIARA
Focused on the sciences, technology, and business administration, Trifonov Institute of Aerospace Research and Aviation (TIARA) was an elite tertiary institution located in Nishihama Island, a port island at the eastern coast of Nagoya, Japan, where the HQ of Trifonov Corporation was located. Its firstly established in Russia as a vocational school to help those with those who were connected to the military get their new jobs in a technological society; however, due to the conservative government in their country, Trifonov Corporation decided to relocate to the more liberal Japan. When TIARA was established in Japan, it had an elite reputation because their alumni worked in various multinational companies, including Trifonov Corporation and even its American rival and counterpart, The Boeing Company.

The institute itself was highly selective with a selectivity rate of 6% (compared to MIT and Harvard University in America); however, selectivity was exempt through special government requests like the case of Stanislav from Bulgaria, patronage from richer families, or benefits from higher-ranking employees of Trifonov Corporation like the case of Roman Razumikhin. According to Katsuya Jounouchi and Xi Li Zhou, alumni from TIARA, low-income students like them had to take the long way around to be admitted; they were required to have an extremely high score in the Center Test, complete their admission application, and make a research or engineering portfolio, which explained its elite reputation. Low-income students were blessed with a scholarship that covered their tuition and living expenses.

TIARA was once a co-ed institution until it was reduced to an all-boys school. When Vasily took over the company, TIARA became co-ed once again.

Acardi Academy
Focused on the arts and business administration, Acardi Academy was an all-girls private boarding school located in the southern coast of Italy with Adina being the remote Headmistress. Unlike TIARA, Acardi Academy had a high-school division, a college division, and a graduate school. Even though it was less esteemed than TIARA, Acardi Academy was also known for their alumni, who took part in elite modeling agencies, major talent agencies, and internationally renowned ballet companies. Like TIARA, the academy was selective (but with a selectivity rate of 15%), and selectivity was exempt through special government requests like the admission of Zana Maximova, patronage from richer students like the admission of Ana Kravinoff, or higher-ranking employees of Trifonov Corporation like the admission of Deva Acardi, the niece of Adina.

Because of Trifonov Corporation's origins and connections with the military, it was rumored to be a cover for the Red Room Academy that trained young girls to become Black Widows, but that rumor was confirmed false.

TC Family
Due to Trifonov Corporation's specialized business programs in TIARA and Acardi Academy, alumni were able to build companies and labels respectively that became members of the TC Family, also known as TC Constellations, and they became the TC Stars.

TIARA Constellations


 * HI Engineering of Japan
 * Horus Engineering of Egypt
 * XIHE of Singapore

Acardi Academy Constellations


 * SNEG
 * DEVA

TIARA Stars


 * Katsuya Jounouchi of HI Engineering
 * Xi Li Zhou of XIHE
 * Ahmed Massoud of Horus Engineering

Acardi Academy Stars


 * Zana Maximova of SNEG
 * Deva Acardi of DEVA
 * Ana Kravinoff of SNEG



Kaiba Corporation of Japan
One of the most complicated and significant bonds in Trifonov Corporation's history was one with former military manufacturing company Kaiba Corporation. After its conversion to a public joint-stock company, Trifonov Corporation was given a sales contract by Kaiba Corporation. Gozaburo, the head of Kaiba Corporation during that time, requested the advanced technology that Stefan and Vasily developed during the Space Race, which included TC's development of aircraft, satellites, and supercomputers. This transferred some of the representatives of TC to relocate in Japan, one of them being Stefan himself.

Because of the contract, Stefan was placed as a TC representative and appointed to KaibaCorp's Board of Directors as the Vice President of Research and Development. Because of Stefan's increasing pressure in his household and the increasing cost and demand of materials, TC developed and produced less than requested of Gozaburo, resulting litigation between Stefan and Gozaburo as they represented their company. Under verdict, Stefan voided the contract with Kaiba Corporation and forced all of KaibaCorp's assets produced by TC to be transferred back to Russia. This severed all ties between KaibaCorp and TC; however, this also caused Gozaburo's personal grudge against Stefan because the lawsuit put a sales drop on KaibaCorp and a loss on his reputation.

Because the majority of KaibaCorp's staff and smaller material companies had increasing loyalty to Stefan that could overthrow Gozaburo's leadership of KaibaCorp, the civil war between loyalists of Stefan and Gozaburo had begun, creating a manhunt that killed 1,000 TC and KC employees. Adding insult to injury, Gozaburo's loyalists, under orders from Gozaburo and the Board of Directors, attempted to assassinate Stefan and his family (which they failed) and all but two of Stefan's loyalists who declared loyalty to Gozaburo under orders of Stefan.

Rather by chance than intention, it even strained the loyalty between the Board of Directors and the new leadership, Seto and Mokuba (who ironically were Stefan's biological children). Ever since Kaiba Corporation had its separation and TC left its branch in Japan with almost of every trace of its existence that had faded, Seto and Mokuba had no prior knowledge about the existence of TC and KC's previous partnership with TC, so Kaiba Corporation became neutral towards TC because the Big Five had little power over the new leadership to further the company's enmity with TC. Because the Board of Directors knew about the blood contract between Gozaburo and Stefan and the relationship between the brothers and Stefan, there are times when they attempted to breach the contract to gain more power by trying to eliminate them like trapping them in Seto's virtual game, getting their bodyguards to assassinate Seto, and getting business associates like Pegasus to take over Kaiba Corporation. The civil war ended after Gozaburo's remaining loyalists were fired and the Board of Directors passed away.

Trifonov Corporation's only connection to Kaiba Corporation that had endured since the civil war was of Stefan and his former protege Isono, who served as his loyal informant while serving as Seto and Mokuba's right-hand man. Kaiba Corporation's historic partnership with TC was not known to Seto and Mokuba until many years later that they didn't even acknowledge the company's existence because Isono, who was Stefan's loyal informant, hid all evidence of Trifonov Corporation's coexistence with Kaiba Corporation until the arrival of Pierre when he became its special counsel and stumbled on some evidence that Isono overlooked to destroy. When Stefan took notice of the power struggle between his two sons and how it mirrored his own with Vasily, Stefan eventually let the events unfold until the secret is on the press and he officially made his concession.

During the power struggle between Vasily and Stefan, Kaiba Corporation became the brothers' middle ground when both of them agreed to sponsor Mokuba Kaiba, the former VP who was the favorite to take over Kaiba Corporation and succeed over the former President Seto. When Vasily took over TC and Mokuba took over KaibaCorp, TC became one of KaibaCorp's greatest sponsors and allies. Vasily's unorthodox approach to teaching students with potential inspired Seto to establish an academy made to accommodate both academia and dueling later on.

Schroeder Corporation and Meinhardt Industries of Germany
After the lawsuit against KaibaCorp became past and the national relationship between Germany and Russia had improved, Trifonov Corporation was amiable toward another military dealer Schroeder Corporation, who was the archrival company of Kaiba Corporation. Stefan and Vasily seemed to know the former president and his family that the Schroeder family had been one of TC's most valued clients. Furthermore, current European dueling champion and CEO of Schroeder Corporation Zigfried von Schroeder learned about Stefan's days as an internationally renowned champion in business and dueling, and he had looked up to him as a business model and a dueling legend. Zigfried and Leon looked up to Stefan and Vasily when they were children.

At one time after its departure from Kaiba Corporation, Trifonov Corporation were once international allies of Schroeder Corporation's more modest neighbor Meinhardt Industries from Germany as well. While Stefan gave one of his Blue Eyes White Dragon cards to Drake Meinhardt, Vasily personally knew Drake's eldest son and Chairman of Meinhardt Industries, Mads Meinhardt, and Sharon knew Mads' daughter and heiress Lynx Meinhardt as dueling rivals in Europe.

Even though he meant well for his generosity and gratitude to his business partners, Stefan didn't foresee Seto's cold-blooded pursuit of the rare cards, and Drake Meinhardt almost lost his business through Seto and the intervening of Netz, a hacktivist organization Seto hired to hack into the Meinhardt family's bank accounts and drown the family business to bankruptcy. It was through pure luck that the family business was saved by none other than Skander, who submitted himself as the youngest cracker in Netz and served ten years of prison time for his wrongdoings.

When Stefan came to know about Zigfried's case with Kaiba Corporation, which was under management of Seto, he set Schroeder Corporation up in a scandal by placing evidence of corporate espionage and involving former thief and cracker Skander Zarubin and former fugitive Vladimir Kravinoff into the plot. After Stefan withdrew his sponsorship to the company, his plan unfolded and all hell broke loose when Zigfried was repatriated back to Germany to serve prison time for five years and Skander barely got his charges cleared. When Meinhardt Industries took the beaten company under its wing and adopted Skander, who suffered enough from Seto and Stefan's callous treatment, Mads Meinhardt signed a motion of no confidence against Stefan, and leadership of Trifonov Corporation was unanimously passed to Vasily, under Meinhardt's condition that Trifonov Corporation had to close down its branch in Germany.

Industrial Illusions of America
Even though it's not a direct relationship between their companies, the Trifonov brothers and Maximillion Pegasus had been long-time friends in the dueling ring, in spite of the national relations between the U.S and Russia being hostile. The most ambitious project that Stefan and Vasily collaborated with Pegasus was the creation of Duel Monsters. While Pegasus created many cards and placed the game to the market, Stefan created the Blue Eyes deck and Trap Cards, and Vasily created the Red Eyes deck and luck-based cards. Even though Stefan's relationship with Pegasus went a little sour when Stefan knew about Pegasus' takeover of Kaiba Corporation under Seto's leadership, Stefan maintained his trust with Pegasus that he collaborated with Pegasus in later projects. Furthermore, Stefan and Vasily inspired Pegasus to incorporate internships in Industrial Illusions, and Pegasus created Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon and Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon in tribute to both of them.

Zhou Tradings of Hong Kong
At one time after its departure from Kaiba Corporation, Trifonov Corporation were once international allies of Zhou Tradings from Hong Kong, especially since their home countries' mainstream form of cooperation was trade and the Trifonov brothers and Ambassador Zhou were military comrades in the Vietnam War. As a reward of their friendship, Stefan gave one of his Blue Eyes White Dragon cards to Ambassador Long Zhou. Even though he meant well for his generosity and gratitude to his business partners, Stefan didn't foresee Seto's cold-blooded pursuit of the rare cards, and Ambassador Long died of forced suicide in Seto's hands and his company and country suffered from his absence and the economic crisis that followed. Because of the death of their beloved and the suffering of their company, the Zhou family moved to Singapore and filed a lawsuit against Stefan through the International Criminal Court. Because of Sharon's intervention on the case and Xi Li's forgiveness, the company voluntarily dismissed its charges against Stefan and Seto was only sentenced to five years in prison.

Unknowingly to the Zhou family, Xi Li Zhou, the younger son of Ambassador Zhou, left Singapore for Japan and changed his name to "Xi He Li". In spite of the greater chance of being admitted to TIARA due to his close relationship with his late father who was a close friend of Stefan, Xi Li worked earnestly and got admitted to TIARA through the low income student route. Xi Li worked with his eventual business partners Katsuya Jounouchi and Ahmed Massoud in their cohort team before starting up XIHE in Singapore and Hong Kong, being a part of the TC Family. As a TIARA Star, Xi Li pardoned Stefan for his father's death because of his experience in TIARA that was worth more than grief and his debt to Trifonov Corporation.

Members
- Leadership - Board of Directors - Previous Members
 * Stefan Vyacheslavich Trifonov Sr. - Founder, ex-President and Chairman, ex-CEO Emeritus, Advisor
 * Vasily Vyacheslavich Trifonov -  Co-Founder, ex-Vice President, current President and CEO
 * Vincent "Vinny" Vasilyevich Trifonov - ex-Business Development Executive, current Vice President
 * Adina Trifonov (née Acardi) - Head Secretary and Acardi Academy Headmistress
 * Katsuya Jounouchi - Vasily's right-hand man and protege, current Chief Sustainability Engineer and Regional Chief Engineer of HI Engineering
 * Oskar Ivanovich Razumikhin - ex-Mechanical Engineer, current Vice President of Human Resources and TIARA Headmaster
 * Gozaburo Kaiba - ex-Chief Shareholder
 * KaibaCorp Board of Directors - ex-Shareholders
 * Yelena Alainova Chernyavska - ex-Chief Aeronautics Engineer (terminated and arrested for sexual assault)
 * Boris Ivanovich Razumikhin - ex-Vice President of Business Strategy and Headmaster of TIARA (terminated and arrested for gross misconduct and murder)
 * Sharon Stefanova Trifonov - ex-Corporate Attorney and Special Counsel (voluntarily resigned)
 * Roman Borisovich Razumikhin - ex-Business Strategist (voluntarily resigned to join INTERPOL)