Russian chemist Vladimir Markovnikov proposed Markovnikov’s rule in 1869 to predict the regiochemistry of addition reactions between unsymmetrical alkenes/ alkynes and hydrogen halides to form alkyl halides.
According to the rule, ‘An alkyl halide is formed in a reaction between an unsymmetrical alkene or alkyne and hydrogen halide (HX) when the negative part of the reagent (X-) attaches to the alkene carbon that has fewer number of hydrogen atoms across the double bond.’
The alkene carbon with fewer hydrogen atoms is the one that is the most substituted with alkyl groups.
Read more about Markovnikov’s Rule.