As people continue to live, work and play online, shares of South Korean internet giant Kakao have more than doubled so far this year, making its founder and chairman, Kim Beom-su, the richest person in Korea.
As of Wednesday, Kakao shares are up about 110% in 2021, adding $5.6 billion to Kim’s net worth since Forbes calculated the fortunes of Korea’s wealthiest in May. He was No. 4 on the Korea wealth rankings. The self-made entrepreneur currently has an estimated net worth of $16.2 billion on the Real-Time Billionaires List, $3 billion more than Celltrion cofounder Seo Jung-jin, who was Korea’s richest person but is now at No. 2.
Kim, 55, has come a long way. He grew up in one of Seoul’s poorest neighborhoods, the son of a pen factory worker and a hotel maid with a grade-school education. The third of five children, and the eldest son, he and his siblings were raised in a one-bedroom apartment by their…