Forbes Asia — May 2017

REED SAXON/AP PHOTO

1

LEE KUN-HEE

$16.8 BILLION S

SAMSUNG AGE: 75

2

SUH KYUNG-BAE

$6.7 BILLION T

AMOREPACIFIC AGE: 54

3

JAY Y. LEE

$6.2 BILLION

SAMSUNG AGE: 48

4

KWON HYUK-BIN

$6.1 BILLION S

SMILEGATE AGE: 43

5

CHUNG MONG-KOO

$4.5 BILLION

HYUNDAI MOTOR AGE: 79

6

CHEY TAE-WON

$3.6 BILLION

SK GROUP AGE: 56

7

KIM JUNG-JU

$3 BILLION T

NEXON AGE: 49

8

PARK HYEON-JOO

$2.7 BILLION S

MIRAE ASSET AGE: 58

9

CHUNG EUI-SUN

$2.4 BILLION T

GLOVIS & HYUNDAI MOTOR

AGE: 46

10

LEE JOONG-KEUN

$2.3 BILLION

BOOYOUNG AGE: 76

11

LEE JAY-HYUN

$2.1 BILLION T

CJ GROUP AGE: 57

12

SEO JUNG-JIN

$1.9 BILLION T

CELLTRION AGE: 59

13

KOO BON-MOO

$1.8 BILLION

LG GROUP AGE: 72

THE LIST

SUP MORE THAN 10% TDOWN MORE THAN 10%

ÌNEW TO LIST 3 RETURNEE

BANG JUN-HYUK: GOING PUBLIC

After generating a record $1.3 billion in revenue last

year, South Korea’s largest mobile-gaming company,

Netmarble, is gearing up for the country’s most

anticipated IPO of the year. With a May 12 share offering

expected to raise up to $2.4 billion—which would make it

the country’s second-largest listing ever—Netmarble could

be valued at $12 billion. That means Bang, who started

the company and will retain a 24% stake, could see his

fortune double. He debuts on the list this year at No. 24,

with $1.43 billion in wealth. It’s been a long way up for

the high school dropout who grew up poor. Ever keen to

expand his global footprint—51% of 2016 sales came from

overseas—he says he plans to use the IPO proceeds to

pursue large acquisitions.