Gaming billionaire recognized as the UK's wealthiest individual under 40 in a technology-focused ranking.

      A gaming entrepreneur originally from Russia has been recognized as the wealthiest individual under 40 in the UK — a category largely filled with tech innovators. Dmitry Bukhman, aged 39, amassed his wealth by founding the mobile gaming company Playrix. His estimated net worth of £12.54 billion leads The Sunday Times 40 Under 40 Rich List and constitutes over a third of its total combined wealth of £36.2 billion. His fortune has nearly doubled compared to last year.

      Growing up in post-Soviet Russia, Bukhman learned to program on his own. Together with his older brother Igor, he created his first game using an old Pentium PC gifted to them by their grandfather. After establishing Playrix in 2004, the brothers shifted their attention to free-to-play mobile games.

      Their most successful titles — such as Homescapes, Fishdom, and Township — fall within the casual puzzle and simulation genres. The majority of their income comes from in-app purchases (IAP).

      In 2024, Playrix ranked as the fourth-largest mobile game publisher worldwide by IAP revenue, earning approximately $1.66 billion. The company has also been criticized for employing pay-to-win practices and misleading advertising tactics.

      The Bukhman brothers left Russia in 2016, first moving to Israel and then relocating to the UK four years later. In 2022, they ceased Playrix's operations in Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

      Bukhman is not the only tech leader on the rich list — almost half of its members are from this sector. Five individuals join Bukhman in the top 10: Herman Narula, CEO of virtual worlds company Improbable; Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham, co-founders of insurtech company Marshmallow; and Piotr Dabkowski and Mati Staniszewski, co-founders of AI company ElevenLabs.

      These rankings are part of The Sunday Times Rich List, which highlights the 350 wealthiest individuals and families in the UK. Their total estimated wealth stands at £772.8 billion, exceeding the annual GDP of Switzerland.