Nineteen entrepreneurs joined the nation’s list of 100 most stock-rich people aged under 45 last year, a conglomerate research firm said Sunday.

The record figure, up from 10 a year earlier, included business people who started venture companies in their 20s in the 1990s, according to Chaebul.com, a portal following the activities of large companies.

Kim Jung-ju, NXC chairman, who founded Korea’s largest online game company Nexon, ranked second with stock assets worth 2.94 trillion won ($2.53 billion).

NXC is a holding company that controls Tokyo-headquartered Nexon, which developed massively multiplayer online role-playing game Maple Story. Nexon Japan was listed on the Japanese bourse on Dec. 14.

The 44-year-old Kim was only behind Hyundai Motor vice chairman Chung Eui-sun, son of Hyundai Motor chairman Chung Mong-koo, who topped the list with 2.76 trillion won.

Another online game maker Kim Taek-jin, NCsoft founder and CEO, came in third with his stock wealth totaling 1.66 trillion won. His firm has secured a large number of paying subscribers for the Lineage franchise and other hit games.

NHN founder Lee Hae-jin, who set up local search giant Naver, ranked 12th with 471.6 billion won. Lee and NXC’s Kim were roommates when they attended Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Also included on the list were WeMade Entertainment CEO Park Kwan-ho, who made the popular online game Legend of Mir; Kim Won-il, who founded golf simulator chain Golfzon with his father; and Lee Jae-woong, former president of Daum communications.

The 35-year-old James Song, president of mobile games developer Gamevil, was the youngest on the list.

Except for the 19 non-corporate players who made their fortunes through their own efforts, 81 others were heirs of the nation’s major conglomerates.

Shinsegae Group vice chairman Jung Yong-jin ranked fourth with 1.2 trillion won in stock assets, while Samsung Electronics president Lee Jae-yong came in fifth with 889.1 billion won.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)