Meet Riku Tazumi, the 26-year-old Japanese billionaire founder of Anycolor: his YouTuber talent agency and its Nijisanji platform have raked in the cash since he started the company at university

Nov 21 , 2022

Riku Tazumi listed his five-year-old company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange this year and is now worth US$1.1 billion. Photo: Riku Tazumi/Facebook

The West may still be obsessed with human YouTube influencers, but Riku Tazumi realised it was virtual YouTubers that were taking off in Japan – and now he’s worth a fortune

Tazumi founded his company at the age of 21 while still at university and shares of Anycolor have surged eightfold since their Tokyo Stock Exchange debut in June

Riku Tazumi is already a successful businessman and even a billionaire – at just age 26. The Japanese founder of Anycolor Inc., a company that houses virtual YouTuber (VTuber) agencies, has managed to build an enormous fortune through the niche industry.

Tokyo-based Riku Tazumi has been able to capitalise on Asia’s love of virtual influencers with his VTuber company. Photo: Max Kinoshita Yoshihiko/Facebook

Tazumi’s journey to becoming one of the youngest billionaires in his home country started when he was still at university. Like many tech titans, he banked on his skills and eventually reaped the rewards of success.

So who is he exactly, and how did he emerge as one of the wealthiest leaders in the world of VTube?

He postponed his studies to focus on his start-up

Riku Tazumi has been working hard to build Anycolor since the age of 21, and looks unlikely to take a break from his passion project. Photo: Max Kinoshita Yoshihiko/Facebook

Tazumi founded Anycolor (formerly Ichikara Inc.) when he was still a university student. According to Forbes, the Japanese entrepreneur founded his company in 2017 at the age of 21, before deciding to suspend his studies to focus on the start-up.

As the parent company of several VTuber agencies, Anycolor rakes in its profits through its management of virtual idols and creators. The company has grown significantly in recent years and publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in June.

His start-up has now grown into a multimillion-dollar corporation

A screen grab of virtual YouTuber Millie Parfait being interviewed by Anycolor’s CEO Riku Tazumi. Photo: Captured online