Igor Bukhman: Playrix Co-Founder & Billionaire

The Builders | Olam.business

Igor Bukhman (born March 29, 1982, Vologda, Russia) is the co-founder of Playrix and the elder of the two brothers who built the largest mobile-gaming company in Europe without raising a dollar of institutional capital. Forbes estimates Igor Bukhman's net worth at $13.6 billion as of March 2026, placing him alongside his brother Dmitry at #216 on the global billionaires list. He holds Israeli citizenship and lives in London with his wife Anastasia and four children.

At a Glance

Born	March 29, 1982, Vologda, Russia (Soviet Union)
Nationality	Israeli
Residence	London, United Kingdom
Education	Applied Mathematics, Vologda State Pedagogical Institute (enrolled 1999)
Company	Playrix Holding Ltd. (HQ: Dublin, Ireland) — co-founder
Revenue	$2.6 billion (2024, per Bloomberg)
Forbes 2026	$13.6 billion — #216 globally
Family fund	Rix Capital (est. October 2021)
Board seat	Nexters Global — non-executive director (April 2023)

Igor Bukhman's Origins: The Elder Brother

Igor Bukhman was born three years before his brother Dmitry into a family of modest means in Vologda, a city in northern Russia. Their father worked as a security guard; their mother in human resources at a local factory. The family shared a 54-square-meter apartment with grandparents. The inflection point was a secondhand Pentium 100 computer gifted by their grandfather — the machine on which Igor and Dmitry wrote their first games.

In 1999, at 17, Igor enrolled at the Vologda State Pedagogical Institute to study Applied Mathematics. By 2001 he and Dmitry were developing and selling PC games online. Their first title, Xonix, shipped after a month of development. A follow-up, Discovera, was priced at $15 and uploaded to two hundred app catalogs. The first month's revenue: $60. Igor was the older brother who set the operational pace; Dmitry brought the design sensibility. The dynamic held through every phase of the company.

In 2004, while Igor was finishing his studies, the brothers formally incorporated Playrix. By that year they had released three games and approximately 30 screensavers. By 2007 the portfolio had expanded to 16 titles generating roughly $300,000 per month — enough to hire their first employees and begin professionalizing the operation.

Playrix: From Vologda to Dublin to Global Scale

Playrix spent five years as a casual-PC-game studio before pivoting in 2009 to free-to-play mobile games. In 2011 the company relocated its headquarters from Vologda to Dublin, Ireland, for tax treatment, EU market access, and proximity to the English-language gaming ecosystem.

The mobile breakout came with Township (2013), followed by Fishdom, Gardenscapes (2016), and Homescapes (2017). Each title targeted the casual-gaming audience with match-three puzzle mechanics inside narrative-driven environments. The combination of story-driven gameplay and in-app-purchase monetization produced extraordinary unit economics.

During COVID-19, Playrix surged from #7 to #2 globally among mobile publishers by revenue, trailing only Tencent. Bloomberg valued the company at approximately $7.8 billion in 2020 and $8 billion by 2021. Revenue reached $2.6 billion in 2024 per Bloomberg. The company reports more than 100 million monthly active users.

The structural fact that defines Playrix: no institutional venture capital, ever. Igor and Dmitry Bukhman own the company outright. Among the top 10 mobile-gaming companies globally, Playrix is the only one that reached this scale without a single external funding round.

Bukhman's Role at Nexters and Investment Activity

In 2018 the Bukhman brothers acquired a stake in Nexters Global, the Cyprus-based developer behind Hero Wars, one of the most commercially successful mobile RPG franchises. Igor Bukhman served as a member of Nexters' Board of Directors in 2021 and 2022, and was appointed non-executive director of Nexters in April 2023.

In 2019 Playrix acquired Plexonic (Armenia) and Eipix Entertainment (Serbia), expanding development capacity and diversifying the game portfolio beyond the core match-three franchise. These acquisitions brought the employee count past 3,000 across offices on multiple continents.

The Nexters board position is structurally significant: it is one of the few public corporate governance roles either Bukhman brother holds outside the Playrix operating company. It signals the Bukhmans' interest in building a broader gaming-sector portfolio — not just a single-company franchise.

Bukhman's Exit from Russia

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Igor and Dmitry Bukhman publicly described the war as a "great tragedy" and called for an end to the conflict. Playrix closed its Russian and Belarusian offices in October 2022 and relocated almost all of its approximately 1,500 Russian employees to other jurisdictions.

Igor Bukhman relocated to London. He holds Israeli citizenship alongside his original Russian nationality. Forbes characterized Igor as "literally between two fires" — with employees in both Russia and Ukraine navigating wartime conditions while the company executed one of the largest technology-company relocations of the post-invasion cycle.

Rix Capital and the Bukhman Foundation

In October 2021 the Bukhman brothers established Rix Capital, a London-based family investment fund. Bloomberg reported the office-building process in April 2023, describing it as the brothers' vehicle for deploying their gaming wealth into a diversified portfolio outside Playrix.

Igor and his wife Anastasia co-founded the Bukhman Foundation, committing £100 million to philanthropic initiatives. The foundation's stated priorities include funding scientific research into curing type 1 diabetes and supporting educational and artistic programs for underprivileged youth.

Why Igor Bukhman Matters to the Olam Thesis

Igor Bukhman sits alongside his brother as one of the wealthiest Israeli citizens. His profile matters to the Olam map for three reasons.

First, the elder-brother dynamic. Igor was three years ahead in the partnership — enrolled in applied mathematics when Dmitry was still in high school. The operational backbone of Playrix's early years, including the 2009 mobile pivot and the 2011 Dublin relocation, was executed while Igor was the more experienced operator of the two.

Second, the Nexters board position. This is the clearest public signal that the Bukhmans intend to build a gaming-sector holding structure, not just run a single company. Igor's non-executive directorship at a publicly listed gaming company (Nexters listed on Nasdaq via SPAC in 2021) represents governance experience the brothers will likely deploy as Rix Capital scales.

Third, the Russian-Israeli-London pattern. Igor and Dmitry represent the largest concentration of Forbes-listed Israeli wealth in the post-2022 Russian-emigrant cohort operating from London. Their trajectory — Vologda to Dublin to London, Russian-born to Israeli-citizen — is a category-defining case in how technology wealth migrates across jurisdictions under geopolitical pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Igor Bukhman?

Igor Bukhman (born March 29, 1982, Vologda, Russia) is the co-founder of Playrix, the largest mobile-gaming company in Europe. Forbes estimates his net worth at $13.6 billion as of March 2026. He holds Israeli citizenship and lives in London.

Is Igor Bukhman related to Dmitry Bukhman?

Yes. Igor is the elder brother. He was born three years before Dmitry (1982 vs. 1985). The two co-founded Playrix together in 2004 in Vologda, Russia, and co-own the company outright.

What is Igor Bukhman's role at Nexters?

Igor Bukhman has served as a non-executive director of Nexters Global since April 2023. He previously served on the Nexters Board of Directors in 2021 and 2022. Nexters is the Cyprus-based developer behind Hero Wars.

How much is Igor Bukhman worth?

Forbes estimates Igor Bukhman's net worth at $13.6 billion as of March 2026, the same figure as his brother Dmitry. The brothers own Playrix outright with no institutional investors.

What is the Bukhman Foundation?

The Bukhman Foundation was co-founded by Igor Bukhman and his wife Anastasia. It has committed £100 million to philanthropic initiatives including scientific research into curing type 1 diabetes and educational programs for underprivileged youth.

Where does Igor Bukhman live?

Igor Bukhman lives in London, United Kingdom. He relocated from Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He holds Israeli citizenship.

What is Rix Capital?

Rix Capital is the Bukhman family's London-based investment fund, established in October 2021. Bloomberg reported on the fund's buildout in April 2023. It operates as the family's vehicle for deploying their gaming wealth into diversified investments outside Playrix.

Related Olam Coverage

Primary Sources

Forbes Billionaires 2026 (Igor Bukhman profile). Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Wikipedia: Igor Bukhman, Playrix. Grokipedia: Igor Bukhman. Data.ai mobile publisher rankings. Goodreturns, Traders Union, Red Carpet Life biographical reporting.

The Olam Editorial Team | The Builders / הבונים