According to the latest report from Bloomberg, Krafton Inc. founder Chang Byung-gyu could be worth as much as $3.5 billion USD if the firm’s initial public offering prices debuts next month at the top end of the range given in its IPO filing. If you did not know, Krafton is the parent company behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, one of the most successful games of all time.
Krafton is seeking to raise as much as 5.6 trillion won ($4.9 billion) in Seoul in what’s likely to be South Korea’s largest ever IPO. Chang Byung-gyu will hold 14% of the shares after the offering. The listing will also produce a string of other beneficiaries, from Chang’s wife to Chief Executive Officer Kim Chang-han (another brilliant mind behind the birth of PUBG) and Tencent Holdings Ltd.
CEO Kim’s stake could be worth as much as $336 million at the top end of the range. Stock owned by the founder’s wife, Chung Seung-hye, could be valued at as much as $206 million, while Tencent’s 13% shareholding could be worth as much as $3.3 billion. The company is now preparing for the launch of the upcoming mobile title, PUBG: New State, which promises to go “beyond battle royale.”
