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

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

Biography

Igor and his brother Dmitry 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. 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, which is best known for its mobile-app games such as Homescapes and Fishdom.[1] They founded Playrix in 2004. 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 war in 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]

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][15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "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. 1 2 "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". //www.themoscowtimes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  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. 1 2 "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". www.bloomberg.com. 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. ↑ "Why Israel Became A Safe Haven For Russian Billionaires". Forbes. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
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