Kim Hyung-tae (born February 7, 1978)[1] is a South Korean video game developer and business executive. He is the founder of Shift Up, where he is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO).[2]
In April 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$725 million.[3]
Early life and education
Growing up, Kim enjoyed drawing.[4] He attended Chung-Ang University, majoring in design but dropped out.[1]
Career
Kim began working professionally as an illustrator in 1997 and joined the game company Softmax in 1998.[5] Kim later worked at NCSoft as an art director.[6]
In 2013, Kim founded Shift Up.
Kim served as executive producer on Goddess of Victory: Nikke, which Shift Up released on November 4, 2022. He also served as director on the action-adventure game Stellar Blade, which was released on April 26, 2024.
Shift Up went public on South Korea’s KOSPI in July 2024, raising $320 million.[7][8]
See also
Reference
References
- Lee Dong-hyeon. [Who Is?] 김형태 시프트업 대표이사 Business Post, 4 November 2024, retrieved 25 December 2025^
- Corporate Governance – Board of Directors (Hyung Tae Kim) SHIFT UP, retrieved 25 December 2025^
- John Kang. Creator Of Blockbuster Game ‘Goddess Of Victory: Nikke’ Joins Ranks Of Korea’s 50 Richest Forbes, retrieved 2025-12-25^
- Blockbuster Korean IPO Makes Video Game Artist a Billionaire Bloomberg.com, retrieved 2025-12-25^
- [지스타 2021] 시프트업 김형태 대표가 말하는 "그림쟁이에서 게임 디렉터로의 길" Daum (v.daum.net), 2021, retrieved 25 December 2025^
- Jong-Woo Kim. Kakao-invested game developer Shiftup becomes unicorn startup - KED Global KED Global, July 11, 2022, retrieved 2025-12-25^
- Tencent-backed Shift Up may price IPO at top end of band, source says Reuters, 27 June 2024, retrieved 25 December 2025^
- Kim Hyung-tae Forbes, retrieved 2025-12-25^