Bang Si-hyuk (born August 9, 1972), known professionally as "Hitman" Bang (stylized as "hitman" bang), is a South Korean record producer, songwriter, and record executive. He founded the record label
Big Hit Music (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) and entertainment company
Hybe Corporation both in 2005, and is chairman of the latter.
One of the 50 wealthiest people in South Korea according to Forbes Asia, Bang is the only billionaire in the
South Korean entertainment industry. By July 2021, his reported net worth was an estimated $3.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Early life
Bang Si-hyuk was born to Bang Geuk-yoon, former president of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Corporation at the Korea Social Insurance Research Institute,[1] and his wife, Choi Myung-ja.[2] He has a younger sister.[3]
Bang developed a passion for music from an early age, having grown up in a musical home, but was discouraged from pursuing a career in the industry by his parents.[4][5] Bang formed a band with his friends while in middle school and wrote and performed songs he composed.[2][6] He attended
Kyunggi High School before graduating from
Seoul National University with a degree in
aesthetics.[7]
His distant relative, Bang Jun-hyuk, is the founder of
Netmarble, South Korea's largest mobile-gaming company,[8] while his maternal uncle, politician and former journalist Choi Kyu-sik, was appointed as the South Korean ambassador to Hungary in 2018.[2][9]
Career
Bang debuted as a composer while in college.[7] In 1994, he won the
Yoo Jae-ha Music Contest and began his career in earnest writing and producing songs.[10] He met
Park Jin-young in 1997, and the pair often partnered together as a songwriting duo. When Park founded his company
JYP Entertainment, Bang joined him as a composer, arranger and producer.[5][11][12] One of their early successes was the first-generation group
g.o.d.[11] Some of g.o.d's most famous songs
arranged by Bang include "
One Candle" and "
Road". Bang's stage name "Hitman" originated from this period, when g.o.d enjoyed success as one of the country's best-selling and most popular boy bands of the early 2000s, earning himself and Park a reputation as "hit makers".[11][13] Besides g.o.d, Bang has produced or composed for many other artists, including veterans
Im Chang-jung and
Park Ji-yoon, singer-actor
Rain, groups
Wonder Girls,
2AM, and
Teen Top, and R&B singer
Baek Ji-young.[11][13][14]
In 2005, Bang left JYP and founded his own company,
Big Hit Entertainment, where he continued to write, compose and produce for its artists.[13][15] Under the Big Hit label, he signed up
RM, at age 15, who would go on to lead the boy band
BTS.[16] He co-wrote six songs for BTS in their 2016 album Wings. Its success garnered Bang the Best Producer Award at the
Mnet Asian Music Awards and the Songwriter Award at the
Melon Music Awards that year. In June 2018, he was named one of
Variety's International Music Leaders due to BTS' achievements.[17]
In April 2019,
Bloomberg estimated Bang's worth to be about $770 million.[18] The BigHit
IPO filed in October 2020 was the largest seen in South Korea in three years and skyrocketed Bang's net worth to $2.8 billion,[19][20] making him the only billionaire in South Korea's entertainment industry and the sixth-richest person in the country.[21][22][23] The success of the IPO, together with the commercial success of BTS that year, Bang's steps into diversification with apps like
Weverse, and acquisitions of companies like
Source Music and
Pledis Entertainment among others, landed him on the 2020 edition of
Variety's Variety500, an annual index of the 500 most influential business leaders in the global media industry.[24][25]
In June 2021, Forbes Asia published its annual list of
Korea's 50 Richest People. One of only two newcomers to the ranking, Bang was listed as the 16th richest person in South Korea.[26][27] On July 1, following an organizational restructuring,
Hybe Corporation announced Bang's resignation as CEO of the company to return his focus to music production. He was replaced by Park Ji-won, but retained his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors.[28][29] According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bang is worth an estimated $3.2 billion as of July 2021.[30]
Bang was featured on the cover of the April 2022 issue of Time magazine, together with BTS, following the release of the outlet's annual list of the 100 Most Influential Companies in March.[31][32] Later that month, he received an
honorary doctorate in Business from
Seoul National University—he is the first figure in the entertainment industry to be awarded such—in recognition of his "contribution to the development and innovation of the nation's cultural and entertainment industry" and for his "role in turning K-pop into a global pop music culture".[33]
Philanthropy
In October 2022, Bang donated 5 billion won (approximately $3.5 million) to the Community Chest of Korea.[34]
On February 17, 2023, Bang donated 200 million won to help
2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake, by donating money through Save the Children.[35]
^Kim, Jun-ho (February 14, 2019).
방탄소년단 탄생시킨 방시혁의 아버지 방극윤 전 이사장 "나는 기타 하나 사준 것 밖에 없습니다" [Bang Geuk-yoon, the father of Bang Sihyuk who birthed BTS, said "the only thing I did was buy him a guitar"]. Jeonbuk Ilbo (in Korean).
Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
^
abcKim, Gye-young (February 1, 2019).
[방시혁 대표의 어머니 최명자 여사] 온유하며 강인한 어머니의 사랑이 이룬 결실 [[CEO Bang Si-hyuk's mother, Ms. Choi Myeong-ja] The fruits of her strong and gentle mother's love]. Today's Korea (in Korean).
Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
^Hwang, Mi-hyeon (April 28, 2011).
방시혁, 서울대 강의 "완전체아이돌 나올 것" [Bang, Shi-hyuk, Seoul National University Lecture "A complete idol will emerge"]. Osen (in Korean).
Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2019 – via
The Chosun Ilbo.
^Choi, Jae-hyuk (December 17, 2021).
[최재혁 기자의 국내 대부호 탐구] '방탄의 아버지' 방시혁 하이브 의장 [[Reporter Choi Jae-hyuk's exploration of the country's richest man] "BTS' Father" Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of Hybe]. CEO News (in Korean).
Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
^
abcSeo, Ha-na (April 24, 2018).
[Who Is ?] 방시혁 빅히트엔터테인먼트 대표이사 [[Who Is?] Bang Si-hyuk, CEO of Big Hit Entertainment]. Business Post (in Korean).
Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
^
abcdJeong, Gang-hyun (March 30, 2010).
2010 '히트곡 메이커' <1> 방시혁 [2010 'hit song maker' <1> Bang Si-hyuk]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean).
Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
^Aswad, Jem; Benjamin, Jeff; Bliss, Karen; Trakin, Roy; Parisi, Paula (June 4, 2018).
"International Music Leaders of 2018". Variety.
Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019. (Note: Click through images to fourth thumbnail to view profile on Bang.)
^Park, Soo-in (July 1, 2021).
방시혁, 하이브 대표이사직 내려놓는다 "이사회 의장+프로듀서에 집중" [Bang Sihyuk, resigns from position as CEO of HYBE. "Focusing on chairman of the board of directors and producer".]. Newsen (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021 – via
Naver.
^Lee, So-yeon (February 17, 2023).
"방시혁, 튀르키예 시리아 지진 피해자 위해 2억원 기부" [Bang Si-hyuk donates 200 million won to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey, Syria] (in Korean).
iMBC. Retrieved February 17, 2023 – via
Naver.
^Lee, Soo-hyun; Moon, Wan-shik (December 16, 2009).
방시혁, 멜론뮤직어워즈 '송라이터상' 수상 [Bang Si-hyuk won the Melon Music Awards Songwriter Award]. Star News (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
^Moon, Wan-shik (August 26, 2010).
방시혁, 2010엠넷20's초이스 '가장 영향력있는 스타' 선정 [Bang Si-hyuk selected as 'Most Influential Star' in 2010 Mnet 20's Choice]. Star News (in Korean).
Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
^방시혁, 한국음악저작권대상 작품상 수상 [Bang Si-hyuk won the Korean Music Copyright Award]. Asia Economy (in Korean). December 5, 2011.
Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
^Oh, Ji-won (November 16, 2016).
'AAA' 조진웅∙엑소 대상…방탄소년단∙박보검∙윤아 2관왕 [종합] [AAA Cho Jin-woong and EXO Grand Prize… BTS, Park Bo-gum, Yoon Ah, Two Crowns [Comprehensive]]. TV Daily (in Korean).
Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
^Kim, Jin-seok (December 2, 2016).
방시혁, '2016 MAMA' 베스트 제작자상 수상 [Bang Si-hyuk won '2016 MAMA' Best Producer Award]. Daily Sports (in Korean).
Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019 – via Joins.
^Kee, Jung-hyun (January 14, 2017).
[골든디스크]방탄 만든 방시혁, 제작자상… 랩몬이 대리수상 [[Golden Disc] BTS' producer Bang Si-hyuk, Producer's Award... Rap Monster accepts the award]. EDaily (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
^Hwang, Soo-yeon (February 22, 2017).
[6th 가온차트]"더 없이 공정했다"..엑소 4관왕·블랙핑크 3관왕(종합) [[6th Gaon Chart] "It was perfectly fair" .. EXO's 4 crowns, Black Pink's triple crown(Comprehensive)]. Herald POP (in Korean).
Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
^Yoon, Jung-mi (January 25, 2018).
[2018 서가대] 방시혁 올해의 제작자상 수상 '방탄도 함께 축하' [[2018 Seoul Music Awards] Bang Si-hyuk, winner of the Producer of the Year Award, 'celebrates with BTS']. News1 (in Korean).
Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
^Kim, Yeonji (January 23, 2018).
'이데일리문화대상' 방시혁, "K팝 세계화와 세계 진출에 큰 힘 될 것" ['Edaily Culture Award' Bang Si-hyuk, "It will be a great force for K-pop globalization and global advancement"]. Daily Sports (in Korean).
Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2019 – via JTBC News.
^Park, Yunseon (June 2, 2020).
빅히트 방시혁 의장, 포니정재단 '올해의 혁신상' 수상자로 선정 [Big Hit Chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, winner of this year's Pony Chung Foundation 'Innovation Award']. Seoul Economy Daily (in Korean).
Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2020.