Kim Beom-soo (businessman)
Kim Beom-soo | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 8, 1966 Damyang County, South Korea |
| Other names | Brian Kim |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Known for | Founder and chairman of Kakao |
| Notable work | KakaoTalk |
Kim Beom-soo (; born March 8, 1966), also referred to as Brian Kim, is a billionaire entrepreneur from South Korea and the founder and chairman of Kakao, a prominent internet enterprise in South Korea. As of December 2024, Forbes valued his fortune at US$3.2 billion, placing him as the sixth wealthiest individual in the country. He is presently facing criminal proceedings related to allegations of stock manipulation.
Early life and education
Kim was born in Damyang County and grew up in Seoul as the third child among five siblings. During his childhood, he was raised by his grandmother in a small one-bedroom apartment while his parents were employed elsewhere. His father worked at a pen manufacturing factory, and his mother was employed as a hotel maid, having completed only elementary schooling. Enduring financial hardship throughout his youth, Kim supported his university studies through tutoring and frequently skipped meals to economize.
He obtained both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering from Seoul National University.
Career
Kim’s professional journey started as a developer within Samsung’s IT services division. In 1998, leveraging $184,000 raised from friends and family, he established Hangame, which began as an internet café business but later transformed into South Korea’s inaugural online gaming platform. In 2000, he merged Hangame with the web portal Naver and acted as a representative for NHN Entertainment Corporation until 2007.
Relocating to Silicon Valley in 2005, Kim founded IWILAB in 2006, an incubator designed to support Korean entrepreneurs based in Mountain View, California.
In 2010, he launched KakaoTalk, which has become South Korea’s leading messaging application, installed on approximately 90% of smartphones nationwide. That same year, Kim committed to philanthropy by joining the Giving Pledge, pledging to donate the majority of his wealth.
2024 stock manipulation allegations and detention
On July 16, 2024, prosecutors in Seoul requested an arrest warrant for Kim concerning accusations of manipulating stock prices during the 2023 bidding competition for SM Entertainment. He appeared before the Seoul Southern District Court on July 22 and was detained shortly after midnight on July 23.
Personal life
Recognized as one of South Korea’s richest individuals, Forbes estimated Kim’s net worth at around $4.7 billion as of December 2023. He lives in Seoul with his spouse, Miseon Hyeong, along with their two children.
In 2021, Kim became a signatory of the Giving Pledge, committing to allocate more than half of his wealth toward charitable causes.
Gambling allegations
Between 2007 and 2010, Kim was implicated in illegal gambling activities in Las Vegas—a practice forbidden for South Korean nationals regardless of location. Prosecutors received information from U.S. authorities indicating that Kim spent nearly 21 hours gambling at the Bellagio Hotel in 2007 during his tenure as CEO of NHN. Records showed he wagered an average of $2,440 per session and incurred losses amounting to $16,993. NHN eventually cooperated with investigation requests by providing access to chat logs after initially resisting.