Kim Jung Ju, nicknamed Jay Kim, the founder of the South Korean game company Nexon, has died. On February 28, the business issued a press statement announcing his death. The 54-year-death old’s was unexpected, according to the press announcement. Owen Mahoney, Nexon’s current CEO, and president stated:
“It is impossible to put into words the grief of losing our friend and mentor Jay Kim, a guy who had an enormously beneficial influence on the globe… His Nexon family and many friends will miss him much.”
Jung-Hyun Yoo, Jay Kim’s wife, and their two kids survive him. His family is “devastated,” according to the entrepreneur’s private investment business NCX Corp.
Kim Jung-Ju was depressed.
The announcement from either of his enterprises did not disclose the cause of death of the South Korean tycoon. Nexon, on the other hand, declared in a statement to the Korean Times:
“Jay Kim had been undergoing therapy for depression, and we are sorry to report that it seems to have deteriorated lately.”
Disclaimer: The preceding section speculates the cause of death based on the firm’s statement. This might indicate an unnatural death as a result of suspected self-harm. The information should not be considered definitive proof.
Kim Jung-Ju was reputedly South Korea’s third wealthiest person.
According to Bloomberg, Jay Kim (Kim Jung-Ju) created Nexon in 1994, which has since grown to be a multibillion-dollar corporation worth more than $13 billion (as of 2019). According to Forbes, Jung-Ju was the third-richest person in South Korea as of 2021. At the time of his death, the 54-year-old was estimated to be worth $10.9 billion. Kim was a doctoral student in computer science engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
Kim Jung Ju, who was the founder of Nexon (essentially created Maplestory) passed away recently. Maplestory was a huge part of my and many other’s childhood. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/PJLiW5Kjek
— Otto Suwen (@OttoSuwenNFT) March 2, 2022
Following the debut of the game development behemoth, the company launched Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, the world’s first visual massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). MapleStory and KartRider are two of Nexon’s other games. Kim Jung-Ju left as CEO of NXC Corp, which controls around 47 percent of Nexon, last year. He had been in charge for 16 years. He was succeeded by Lee Jae-Kyo, who is also a director of the Nexon Foundation. Meanwhile, Jung-Ju stepped down from Nexon’s board of directors in 2016.
Jay Kim has been very charitable recently, giving multiple gifts to children’s hospitals. Kim established the Nexon Foundation in 2018 to manage the company’s corporate social obligation. According to the statement issued by the firm:
“His charity affected millions of young people and includes significant donations in health and education, including the Purme Foundation Nexon Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, and the Nexon Foundation for the construction of children’s hospitals.”
The Seoul native has personally vowed to give around $93 million to startup financing and the construction of children’s hospitals.
Kim Jung Ju’s Net Worth
Kim Jung-Ju was a South Korean businessman with a net worth of $1.6 billion at the time of his death. Nexon, Korea’s largest online gaming company, was founded by Kim Jung-Ju. Nexon developed well-known games such as Kart Rider and Maple Story. Jung-Ju expanded in 2010 by acquiring rivals Ndoors and Gamehi.
