List of 2025's Billionaire Video Game Moguls Ranked by Fortune

Top Video Game Billionaires Shaping the Industry

The gaming industry has seen a meteoric rise, and at the helm of this revolution are a select few billionaires who have made significant contributions to its growth. Here are some of the key figures driving the gaming industry in 2025.

Ma Huateng As the chairman and co-founder of Tencent, Ma Huateng has steered the company to become a dominant player in online gaming globally. Tencent owns major titles like Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile and holds stakes in Epic Games, Riot Games, and Krafton. Tencent’s extensive portfolio in gaming, social media, and fintech has driven Ma’s wealth [1].
William Ding Founder and CEO of NetEase, William Ding has led the company to become a leading Chinese developer and publisher of popular computer and mobile games such as Fantasy Westward Journey and Onmyoji. NetEase also partners with international developers like Blizzard Entertainment, contributing widely to gaming culture [1].
Shi Yuzhu Known for MMO games like ZT Online, Shi Yuzhu, the founder of Giant Interactive Group, is recognized for steering multiple profitable businesses, notably in gaming [1].
Kwon Hyuk-Bin (Korean billionaire) Kwon Hyuk-Bin is known for investment and development roles in gaming, though specific major contributions were not detailed in the current sources, he is recognized among the top wealthiest in gaming [1].
Kim Jung-Ju Kim Jung-Ju, the founder of Nexon, is credited with pioneering online games in Asia and popularizing free-to-play models [1]. Despite his passing in 2022, his legacy continues to play a significant role in the gaming industry through Nexon, which is famous for titles such as MapleStory and KartRider.
Naruatsu Baba Founder of Colopl, Naruatsu Baba served as both president and CEO of the company, which helped popularize mobile gaming, particularly in augmented reality (AR) and location-based games like Dragon Collection [1].

Other billionaires in the top 10 mainly come from influential gaming companies in Asia, contributing to mobile and online gaming’s explosive growth in China, South Korea, and Japan. The full list beyond the top six was not fully detailed but includes key figures driving leadership in mobile and online games [1].

Apart from these, there are other notable figures in the gaming industry.

Gabe Newell American co-founder and president of Valve Corporation, Gabe Newell significantly shaped PC gaming through Half-Life and by creating Steam, which revolutionized digital game distribution and dominated downloaded PC games [4].
Jensen Huang Co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang is crucial in gaming hardware via GPUs. Nvidia supplies graphics processors essential for gaming and AI. His vision transformed Nvidia into a backbone of AI and gaming technology with a $4 trillion valuation in July 2025, reflecting how crucial GPUs are to gaming and AI infrastructure [2].

These billionaires have driven major trends in the gaming industry: Tencent and NetEase pushed the expansion of online/mobile games, Valve redefined PC digital distribution, while Nvidia transformed gaming hardware that supports high-performance gaming and AI. Korean and Japanese entrepreneurs are key in mobile and online gaming markets in Asia.

In the case of Kim Taek-Jin, his wealth is a direct result of the enormous profitability of the subscription-based and free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) markets. Kim Taek-Jin is the CEO of NCSoft, a leading South Korean video game company known for Lineage, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that has been a hit in Asia for decades.

Markus Persson's wealth is a direct result of the enormous success of Minecraft, which continues to be one of the video games that has sold the most copies anywhere in history, despite his no longer being actively involved in the gaming industry. Crossfire, developed by Smilegate, is a highly popular game, particularly in China and Korea.

The success of Baba in the rapidly expanding mobile gaming market and the ability of Colopl to create successful games are the two factors that contribute to Baba’s wealth. Gabe Newell, also known as "Gaben," is the president of Valve Corporation, responsible for the largest digital distribution platform for personal computer games, Steam, and iconic franchises like Half-Life, Portal, and Dota 2.

The expansion of real-estate portfolios can be attributed to the prosperity gained from the gaming industry, as witnessed in the case of Kim Taek-Jin, whose wealth is largely derived from the booming subscription-based and free-to-play MMORPG markets.
The emergence of artificial intelligence in technology, particularly in gaming and data-and-cloud-computing sectors, can be linked to the vision and contributions of Jensen Huang, the co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, who transformed the company into a cornerstone of AI and gaming technology.
The rise of sports-betting platforms can be traced back to the success of key gaming figures, as demonstrated by the substantial wealth of Markus Persson, who gained his fortune from the enduring popularity of Minecraft.
In the ever-evolving world of personal-finance, Ma Huateng and the financial arm of Tencent have demonstrated that investing wisely in the gaming industry, as well as fintech ventures, can generate immense wealth.
The gaming industry's impact extends to shopping, with numerous companies incorporating gaming elements, such as gamification, into their online stores to enhance user experience and boost sales.
The adoption of cutting-edge technology like gadgets and augmented reality (AR) games can be credited to the innovative approaches of billionaires like Naruatsu Baba, the founder of Colopl, whose company helped shape the mobile gaming market.
The sports sector has been influenced by the gaming industry, as evidenced by the increasing popularity of sports-themed games, like Crossfire, developed by Smilegate, which has gained prominence in China and South Korea.
The lifestyle of many individuals has been influenced by the gaming industry, with gaming culture permeating various aspects of everyday life, from social media trends to fashion, thanks to the contributions of billionaire gaming industry titans.