JM Solution face masks are super coveted in Asia – and they made GP Club founder Kim Jung-woong a billionaire in just two years

Nov 6 , 2020

Persistence, insight and hard work have paid off for South Korean billionaire and founder of GP Club, Kim Jung-woong. Photo: @Forbes/Twitter

The Active Jellyfish Vital Mask is a must for all women hoping for Song Hye-kyo-esque skin, but would you believe its creator is a man who used to run a video game store?

A family tragedy, video game bags and a leg-up from Goldman Sachs – who would have thought it would be these that landed GP Club CEO Kim Jung-woong in the billionaires club in the space of just two years?

His estimated fortune of US$1.2 billion has been built almost entirely on face masks. And no, we’re not talking about the ones that lower your chances of contracting Covid-19, but the now oh-so famous JM Solution facial sheet mask line (Active Pink Snail Brightening Mask, anyone?).

Self-made is not a word you’ll commonly hear when discussing those on South Korea’s rich lists. According to The Korea Times, the number of Koreans inheriting wealth from their parents is higher than in America, Japan or even China – perhaps that’s why Kim Jung-woong’s rise to riches makes such a great story.

Game Paradise Club

It all started when his father lost his job at the bank and ploughed the family’s money into a (failed) attempt at getting into politics. Not long after, he turned to construction work to feed his family. As a result of their precarious situation, Kim remembers eating barley as a child because even rice was out of their reach. His father died when he was just 15, and at that point Kim felt pressure to start earning his own money.

After taking a part-time job at a video game store, he got the idea to start his own. Using around US$4,000 of savings from the job and borrowing another US$3,000 from family, he started GP Club, otherwise known as Game Paradise.