Ex-Nintendo boss is Japan’s richest person

The former chairman of Nintendo Hiroshi Yamauchi is the richest person in Japan, according to Forbes.

Yamauchi topped up his personal wealth with more $3 billion in the past year alone, mainly from Wii’s success.

According to the article, Japan’s 40 wealthiest businesspeople are worth $89.9 billion, up $10.7 billion from last year.

Forbes reports:

‘The biggest gainer was the country's new No. 1, the retired and now largely low-profile Nintendo chairman, Hiroshi Yamauchi, whose net worth soared $3 billion in the past year and has tripled since 2006, thanks mostly to booming sales of the Wii gaming device.

‘Close behind him is last year's richest member on the list, property developer Akira Mori, who gained $2.2 billion but not enough to stay on top.’