The Nexon Corporation is mourning the loss of the man who started it all back in 1994, Kim Jung-ju. The billionaire founder of the now-giant gaming company passed away in late February at the age of 54.
Nexon released a statement, saying, “With deep sadness, Nexon mourns the unexpected death of its beloved founder, Jung-ju Jay Kim, who passed away in February. Please excuse us that we cannot explain in detail as all of his family members are devastated. The deceased had been receiving treatment for depression, and we are sad that it seemed to have worsened recently.”
Kim only recently stepped down as Nexon’s CEO, handing over the position to Jae-Kyo Lee back in 2021. He had a majority stake of $9 billion in the company.
“It is difficult to express the tragedy of losing our friend and mentor Jay Kim, a man who had an immeasurably positive impact on the world,” said Nexon President Owen Mahoney. “As a founder and visionary leader, Jay encouraged those around him to ignore the skeptics and trust their creative instincts. He will be deeply missed by his Nexon family and many friends.”
Kim Jung-ju’s legacy lives on in the sizable MMORPG footprint that Nexon has made over the last three decades, with titles such as MapleStory, Dungeon Fighter Online, and Mabinogi.
