Takemitsu Takizaki, the founder of electronic sensor-maker Keyence Corp., has overtaken Uniqlo billionaire Tadashi Yanai to become Japan’s richest person.
Takizaki is now worth $38.2 billion (¥4.2 trillion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after his company’s shares almost doubled since the start of last year. Fast Retailing Co.’s Yanai, who’s lost more than a fifth of his wealth in 2021, has a net worth of $35.6 billion.
With a factory-automation entrepreneur replacing a retail mogul at the top of the country’s rich list, it’s an example of how the wealth landscape is shifting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Keyence has also been boosted by its forthcoming inclusion in Japan’s blue-chip equity index, the 225-issue Nikkei average.
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