The newest billionaire in Japan is a highly active 32-year-old dealmaker.

Shunsaku Sagami, the 32-year-old CEO and founder of M&A Research Institute Holdings, has become Japan's latest billionaire due to the skyrocketing value of his company's shares. The firm specializes in mergers and acquisitions for small and medium-sized enterprises and has gained significant traction in Japan's booming M&A market, with 33 transactions completed in the quarter ending December 2022 and 426 deals still in progress. 

The M&A Research Institute uses artificial intelligence to match buyers with profitable but aging companies in need of succession planning, with the goal of preserving Japan's small and medium-sized enterprises. Sagami was inspired to enter the field after witnessing his grandfather's business forced to close due to a lack of succession planning. 

The company's success has allowed Sagami to expand into asset management. As of Friday's closing price, Sagami's 73% stake in the firm is worth just over $1 billion.