Tycoon’s $6 Billion Surge Unseats Samsung Heir as Richest Korean
- Kakao’s Kim is worth $13.5 billion after stock soared
- Company rising as key units either go public or plan IPOs
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Brian Kim, the founder of South Korean messaging giant Kakao Corp., has seen his fortune jump by more than $6 billion this year, propelling him to the top of the country’s wealth ranking.
Kim is now worth $13.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after Kakao shares rose 89% in 2021 alone. South Korea’s second-richest person, Samsung heir Jay Y. Lee, has a net worth of $12.3 billion.