By 2025, 1.3 million Japanese business owners will be over 70 years old with no successor. This could lead to the closure of 620,000 profitable businesses, shrinking Japan’s GDP by $165 billion and eliminating 6.5 million jobs. The youngest billionaire you’ve never heard of is tackling this crisis head-on with AI: Shunsaku Sagami.

A Personal Loss That Sparked a Vision

Shunsaku Sagami’s journey began in Osaka in the 1980s when his grandfather’s thriving real estate agency was forced to shut down due to the lack of a successor. Seeing the company’s license removed from the wall was a defining moment, planting the seed for his future business vision.

From Biology to Billionaire: Sagami’s Unconventional Path

Sagami graduated from Kobe University with a degree in biology and agriculture. An avid Mahjong player, he credits the game for honing his business acumen. Today, at just 33 years old, he is Japan’s youngest billionaire, with a net worth of $1.9 billion.

But his rise was far from straightforward.

The Frustration That Led to Innovation

In 2017, Sagami sold Alpaca, a women’s fashion and cosmetics business. The sale process was frustrating:

• It took over a year to complete.
• Required months of manual research.
• Incurred retainer fees regardless of success.

This inefficiency led him to a game-changing decision.

The Birth of AI-Powered M&A

In 2018, Sagami launched the M&A Research Institute, a Tokyo-based M&A brokerage that leverages AI to help aging business owners find successors. His AI-driven approach was inspired by Japan’s automation giant Keyence Corp.

The real breakthrough came when he modernized Japan’s M&A industry with proprietary AI solutions:

• Business matching algorithms
• Automated document analysis for faster due diligence
• Machine learning to match compatible buyers and sellers

How AI is Revolutionizing Japan’s M&A Industry

The impact of Sagami’s AI system was immediate:

• Reduced deal times from 6 months to 49 days
• Eliminated retainer fees, charging only success-based fees of up to 5%
• Streamlined paperwork through in-house digital software

This transformation disrupted traditional M&A practices, making acquisitions faster, cheaper, and more accessible.

Rapid Growth and Market Dominance

In just the first six months, M&A Research Institute:

• Completed 62 deals worth ¥3.9 billion ($26.5 million)
• Expanded to over 300 employees
• Handled 500 simultaneous deals
• Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2022

Today, it is Japan’s go-to M&A solution for small to medium-sized enterprises.

A Billionaire with a Mission

Sagami owns 72% of the company, yet despite his immense wealth, he remains humble:

“I’m not quite sure how I feel about my wealth, but I continue to work hard to create good businesses.”

His next goal? Global expansion.

A Lesson in Problem-Solving

Sagami turned a personal problem into a nationwide solution. His innovation is now tackling Japan’s biggest economic crisis.

As Elon Musk once said:

“You get paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of problems you solve.”

The takeaway? Big solutions often start with small problems.