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Igor Bukhman

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Igor Bukhman
Born (1982-03-29) 29 March 1982 (age 42)
Vologda, Soviet Union
NationalityIsraeli
Alma materVologda State Pedagogical Institute [ru]
RelativesDmitry Bukhman

Igor Bukhman (born 29 March 1982) is a Russian-born Israeli entrepreneur.

Biography

Igor and his brother Dmitry Bukhman were born in Vologda. Since he was a kid, Igor was engaged in programming. In 1999, Igor Bukhman was enrolled on the Faculty of Applied Mathematics at the Vologda State Pedagogical Institute [ru]. In 2001, together with his brother, they started developing online games. The same year, they published their first game Discovera. The brothers priced it at $15, uploaded it to 200 app directories, and made $60 in the first month.

Playrix

Together with his brother Dmitry Bukhman, they founded online gaming company Playrix in 2004, which is best known for its mobile-app games such as Homescapes and Fishdom.[1] By that time, they had released three games and around 30 screensavers; by 2007, the number of games increased to 16, and the company's monthly income constituted around $300,000. Soon the company released such games as Homescapes, Gardenscapes, Fishdom, and Township.[2][3][4][5]

In 2018, the brothers personally invested in video and social network games developer Nexters Global and in Belarusian Vizor Games.[1] In February 2019, there was some information about the sale of Playrix to Chinese gaming companies for $3 billion, but the rumors were not confirmed.[6] In 2019, Playrix bought the Armenian and Serbian studios Plexonic and Eipix Entertainment, respectively.[7] In 2021 and 2022, Igor Bukhman was a member of Nexters' Board of Directors; in April 2023, he was appointed a non-executive director of the company.[8] In October 2022, the company announced the closure of its offices and development operations in Russia and Belarus due to the invasion of Ukraine.[9] In 2023, the company employed more than 3,000 people around the world.[10] In June 2023, analytics company Data.ai (formerly App Annie) ranked Playrix seventh in the global ranking of mobile publishers by annual revenue, with the company in first place in EMEA.[11] “Within five years, we are seeking to join the same league as Activision Blizzard or NetEase Inc., but in the European region,” said Igor, without specifying a revenue target.[12]

Wealth

Igor Bukhman entered Forbes ranking of the richest entrepreneurs in the world in 2020 with a fortune of $3.1 billion.[1] In April 2023, Forbes estimated Bukhman's assets at $7 billion: he ranked 332nd in the world,[1] and 6th in the list of wealthiest Israelis.[13] In October 2021, the Bukhmans launched the Rix Capital family fund. In 2023, the investment company, with $4 billion of the brothers' personal funds under management, opened a permanent office in London.[10] In 2023, he ranks 23rd in the Russian Billionaires ranking and 332nd in the World's Billionaires ranking with a net worth of $6.9B.[14] As of January 2024 he was Ranked 3rd in the Wealthiest People in Israel table with an estimated net worth of $6.8 billion.[15]

Private life

He is married and has four children. In 2014, Igor Bukhman moved to Dublin. In 2016, he acquired Israeli citizenship. Since 2020 he has lived in London.[1][5][16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Igor Bukhman". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  2. ^ Анастасия Карпова (2020-03-19). "Как братья Бухманы построили одну из крупнейших игровых компаний в мире — Playrix — и стали миллиардерами". Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  3. ^ "Братья-миллиардеры Бухман: "Мы никогда в жизни не брали кредитов"" (in Russian). РБК. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  4. ^ "Playrix has become Europe's quiet giant in mobile gaming". VentureBeat. 2016-11-23. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  5. ^ a b "This Russia-Born Billionaire Owns One Of The World's Largest Game Developers. Amid The Ukraine War, He Navigates A Company In Turmoil". Forbes. 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  6. ^ "Russian Billionaire Brothers Crush It With Gaming Powerhouse Playrix". The Moscow Times. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  7. ^ "Mobile-Gaming Billionaires Are Buying Rivals Instead of Selling Out". Bloomberg. 2019-05-19. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  8. ^ "Nexters : Announces Changes to its Board of Directors". Data.ai. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  9. ^ "Playrix to close Russia and Belarus offices and relocate staff". Game Developer. 2022-10-11. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  10. ^ a b "Brothers Worth $11 Billion Are Building Out Family Office to Invest Their Gaming Riches". Bloomberg. 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  11. ^ "data.ai announces the Top Publishers in 2023". Data.ai. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  12. ^ "Mobile-Gaming Billionaires Are Buying Rivals Instead of Selling Out". Bloomberg. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  13. ^ "2022 Israeli Billionaires". Forbes Israel. 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  14. ^ "Igor Bukhman". https: www.forbes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  15. ^ "Wealthiest People in Israel (January 22, 2024)". CEOWORLD magazine. 23 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Why Israel Became A Safe Haven For Russian Billionaires". Forbes. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
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