Kim Jung-youn
| Kim Jung-youn 김정연 | |
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Occupation | Heiress, shareholder |
| Known for | Youngest billionaire in the world (2022), heiress to Nexon fortune |
Kim Jung-youn (Korean: 김정연; born c. 2004) is a South Korean heiress and billionaire who became one of the youngest billionaires in the world following the death of her father, Kim Jung-ju, the founder of the video game company Nexon. Together with her sister Kim Jung-min, she inherited a significant stake in NXC Corporation, the holding company that controls Nexon, after Kim Jung-ju died in February 2022 at the age of 54. Kim Jung-youn's inherited wealth, derived from a combined 30.78 percent stake in NXC shared with her sister, was valued at approximately US$2.5 billion at the time of inheritance.[1] By late 2022, at the age of eighteen, she was recognized by multiple international media outlets and wealth-tracking organizations as the world's youngest billionaire, surpassing Germany's Kevin David Lehmann in net worth.[2] As of 2025, Kim Jung-youn continues to be listed among the world's youngest billionaires by Forbes and other financial publications.[3]
Background
Kim Jung-youn is the daughter of Kim Jung-ju (1968–2022), the South Korean entrepreneur who founded Nexon, one of the world's largest online gaming companies. Kim Jung-ju established Nexon in 1994 and built it into a multinational video game publisher and developer responsible for globally popular titles. Nexon is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and operates across multiple international markets. The company is controlled through its parent holding company, NXC Corporation, in which Kim Jung-ju held a dominant ownership stake prior to his death.[1]
Kim Jung-ju died in February 2022 at the age of 54.[4] His death resulted in a significant transfer of wealth to his surviving family members, including his two daughters, Kim Jung-youn and Kim Jung-min. The sisters jointly inherited a 30.78 percent stake in NXC Corporation, the holding entity that maintains controlling interest in Nexon.[1] At the time of the inheritance, this stake was valued at approximately US$2.5 billion combined.[1]
Prior to his death, Kim Jung-ju had announced philanthropic intentions, stating in 2021 that he planned to donate a majority of his wealth to charitable causes. The disposition of his estate following his death, however, resulted in the substantial inheritance passing to his daughters, propelling both into the ranks of the world's wealthiest individuals at a remarkably young age.[1]
Inheritance and Wealth
Following Kim Jung-ju's death in February 2022, his daughters became among the youngest billionaires in the world. Kim Jung-youn, who was approximately eighteen years old at the time she was first widely recognized on global billionaire lists, attracted significant media attention due to her age and the scale of the inherited fortune.[2]
By September 2022, multiple publications identified Kim Jung-youn as the world's youngest billionaire. Luxurylaunches reported in September 2022 that Kim Jung-youn had become the world's youngest billionaire as the teenage daughter of the late Kim Jung-ju.[2] Shafaq News similarly reported that month that she had assumed the title of the world's youngest billionaire following her father's death.[4]
In December 2022, the South China Morning Post profiled Kim Jung-youn in detail, noting that at age 18, she had overtaken Kevin David Lehmann, the German heir to the dm-drogerie markt drugstore chain fortune, as the world's youngest billionaire by net worth. The publication reported that Kim Jung-youn and her sister Kim Jung-min inherited a combined 30.78 percent stake in NXC Corporation valued at US$2.5 billion.[1]
Forbes and International Rankings
Kim Jung-youn's status as one of the world's youngest billionaires has been consistently tracked by Forbes and other wealth-ranking organizations. In April 2024, the Chosun Ilbo reported that both Kim Jung-youn and her sister Kim Jung-min were featured on the Forbes list of the 25 youngest billionaires, describing them as "South Korea's gaming heiresses who inherited billions from Nexon founder."[5]
In September 2024, The Times of India included Kim Jung-youn in its compilation of the world's top 10 youngest billionaires, listing her alongside other young heirs such as Clemente Del Vecchio of the Luxottica fortune.[6]
As of April 2025, Kim Jung-youn remained among the five youngest billionaires in the world. VnExpress International reported that the five youngest billionaires collectively held US$18.1 billion in wealth, according to Forbes' latest data, and noted that all were heirs to their fortunes.[3] Jagran Josh also included Kim Jung-youn on its September 2025 list of the top 10 youngest billionaires, noting that the list was "dominated by heirs" from various industries and countries.[7]
NXC Corporation and Nexon
The wealth of Kim Jung-youn is derived almost entirely from her ownership stake in NXC Corporation, the South Korean holding company that serves as the parent entity of Nexon. NXC controls Nexon through its ownership structure, and Nexon in turn is one of the largest video game companies in the world, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Nexon is known for developing and publishing massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) and other online gaming titles that have attracted large player bases across Asia, North America, and Europe.
The value of Kim Jung-youn's inherited stake fluctuates with the market performance of Nexon and the valuation of NXC's holdings. At the time of her initial recognition as the world's youngest billionaire in 2022, the combined stake held by the two sisters was valued at approximately US$2.5 billion.[1] The continued inclusion of Kim Jung-youn on youngest billionaire lists through 2024 and 2025 indicates that the value of her holdings has remained in the billionaire range, though specific updated valuations vary by source and reporting period.[3][6]
Personal Life
Kim Jung-youn has maintained a low public profile. Unlike many prominent billionaires and heirs, she has not been the subject of extensive media interviews or public appearances. The available reporting on Kim Jung-youn is largely focused on her inherited wealth and her ranking among the world's youngest billionaires rather than her personal activities, educational background, or professional pursuits.[1][2]
She is known to have a sister, Kim Jung-min, with whom she jointly inherited the NXC stake from their father. Both sisters have appeared together on various youngest billionaire rankings published by Forbes and other outlets.[5]
Kim Jung-youn was born around 2004, based on reports that identified her as eighteen years old in late 2022.[1] Details regarding her educational background, residence, and day-to-day involvement (if any) in the management or governance of NXC Corporation or Nexon have not been widely reported in available sources.
Recognition
Kim Jung-youn has been recognized primarily for her status as one of the world's youngest billionaires. She has appeared on multiple international rankings and lists, including:
- Forbes list of the 25 youngest billionaires (2024), alongside her sister Kim Jung-min[5]
- The Times of India list of the world's top 10 youngest billionaires (2024)[6]
- Forbes' youngest billionaires list (2025), as reported by VnExpress International[3]
- Jagran Josh top 10 youngest billionaires in the world (2025)[7]
In September 2022, she was first identified as the world's youngest billionaire by several international publications, including Luxurylaunches and Shafaq News.[2][4] The South China Morning Post profiled her in December 2022 as the new holder of the title of world's youngest billionaire, noting she had surpassed Kevin David Lehmann of Germany.[1]
Her recognition is tied directly to the inheritance from her father, Kim Jung-ju, and the substantial value of the NXC Corporation stake that she and her sister received. The attention paid to Kim Jung-youn reflects broader media interest in young heirs and the concentration of wealth in the global technology and gaming industries.
Legacy of Kim Jung-ju
Kim Jung-youn's prominence is closely connected to the legacy of her father, Kim Jung-ju, who is considered a foundational figure in the South Korean and global online gaming industry. Kim Jung-ju founded Nexon in 1994, and the company became one of the pioneers of the free-to-play business model and massively multiplayer online gaming. Under his leadership, Nexon grew from a small South Korean startup into a multinational gaming conglomerate with operations in multiple countries and a listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Kim Jung-ju's death in February 2022, at the age of 54, marked the end of an era for Nexon and the broader gaming industry. Prior to his death, he had publicly expressed intentions to donate significant portions of his fortune to philanthropy. The inheritance received by his daughters, including Kim Jung-youn, placed them at the center of discussions about wealth transfer, corporate governance, and the future direction of Nexon and NXC Corporation.[1][4]
The continued presence of Kim Jung-youn and her sister on global billionaire rankings serves as a reminder of the enormous wealth generated by the online gaming industry and the dynastic nature of corporate ownership structures in South Korea, where family-controlled conglomerates and holding companies play a significant role in the national economy.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "Meet the world's new youngest billionaire, 18-year-old Kim Jung-youn".South China Morning Post.2022-12-15.https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3203261/meet-worlds-new-youngest-billionaire-south-koreas-kim-jung-youn-18-overtook-kevin-david-lehmann-net.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "South Korean teenage gaming heiress Kim Jung-youn is now the world's youngest billionaire".Luxurylaunches.2022-09-24.https://luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/worlds-youngest-billionaire.php.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "World's 5 youngest billionaires hold combined over $18B in wealth".VnExpress International.2025-04-02.https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/billionaires/world-s-5-youngest-billionaires-hold-combined-over-18b-in-wealth-4869161.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Kim Jung-Ju's Teenage Daughter Becomes World's Youngest Billionaire".Shafaq News.2022-09-22.https://shafaq.com/en/World/Kim-Jung-Ju-s-Teenage-Daughter-Becomes-World-s-Youngest-Billionaire.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Korean sisters named world's youngest billionaires".Chosun Ilbo.2024-04-07.https://www.chosun.com/english/industry-en/2024/04/07/6IXJ2Y7RDFCT7DJL44LVNM7GIE/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Youngest billionaires in the world 2024: Clemente Del Vecchio, Kim Jung-youn, and others—know their net worth".The Times of India.2024-09-06.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/youngest-billionaires-in-the-world-2024-clemente-del-vecchio-kim-jung-youn-and-othersknow-their-net-worth/articleshow/113116437.cms.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Top 10 Youngest Billionaires in the World".Jagran Josh.2025-09-11.https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/top-youngest-billionaires-in-the-world-1820002482-1.Retrieved 2026-02-24.