If a Russian citizen seeks to travel to the U.S. these days to create jobs / invest in his own company, what visa type should one pursue to maximize chances of getting approved?
It's really tough for Russians to get visas to the U.S. now regardless of the visa. There's no investor visa for Russians so the O-1 is probably the best option but as I noted in another thread, visa applications by Russians typically get denied or end up in a black hole.