Johann Graf Net Worth, Biography, Career and Assets

Johann Graf Net Worth  $6.8 billion

Austrian businessman and entrepreneur Johann Graf is usually in the spotlight for his estimated net worth of 6.8 billion dollars. He is considered as one of the wealthiest businessmen in his country, and he has made most of his fortune as the founder and majority share owner of the Novomatic Group of companies.

Today, the company which he single-handedly founded operates in 32 countries around the world and exports devices to more than 70 countries worldwide. The company’s revenue is currently estimated to be around $7 billion, and it hires approximately 20,000 employees.

It was in 1974 when his career started. He set up Gerhard Brodnik (the Brodnik & Graf GmbH) which focused on importing Belgian pinball machines which were set up in pubs, brothels, and cafés.

The company, as of today, operates in more than 1,200 sports betting and gaming venues in addition to electronic casinos.

Early Life: Childhood, Education

The businessman was born into a poor family in Austria and was raised by his grandparents in a single-room flat. Their house did not even have running water during that time.

His guardians wanted him to inherit the family butcher shop after them and trained him to be a butcher starting from his young years. But Johann Graf had no interest and wanted to do bigger, different things with his life.

Professional Life: Business Career

In 1974, he started importing pinball machines to Belgium from America. The machines were widely set up in Brothels, cafés, and pubs. Soon, he became a representative of a British company of slot machines.

With the onset of electronic machines, Johann entered the business of servicing specialists and hired experienced technicians to serve the clients.

In 1980, he founded Novomatic Automatenhandels AG, which he employed in introducing the Admiral Range of gaming machines to his own country. By 1982, he had entered the East Bloc and Swiss markets.

He operated many casinos under the business name of Admiral, and at the same time marketed video poker, video lottery, slots, electronic table games, and also multiplayer games. He was operational at a time when technological innovation was the call of the hour.

Over time, he made his presence known in the mobile and online gaming industry and kept his place with the updated technology of casino management.

The modular ACP system in casinos allowed operators to monitor, control, and automate a range of gaming functions, such as administering jackpots, tracking losses and wins, identifying player loyalty, analyzing the performance of the gaming machines, etc.

His company, Novomatic was also involved in the development of the popular biometric system, which managed betting terminals, initiated and authenticated credit transfers, and controlled access to casinos.

His company is valued at 4.5 billion dollars at present and is operational in more than 43 different countries, exporting gaming equipment to more than 80 countries. Today, his company, Novomatic operates more than 1200 gaming and sports betting centers across the globe. This is in addition to many electronic casinos.

Personal Life: Family, Children, Personal Interests

Currently divorced, Mr. Johann Graf lives in Baden near Vienna. He is a proud father of three. Thomas Graf, his eldest child, is the head of the technology wing of Novomatic. He is also a part of the company’s management board.

Johann Graf is also known for his hobby of collecting vintage cars. His collection includes around 120 exotic cars, the majority of which are Jaguars. Instead of being busy, Graf focuses mainly on being productive. There is a probability that it is this approach that has made him one of the few billionaires in Austria.

Johann Graf Net Worth: Salary, Income Sources, Assets, Investments

Mr. Johann Graf’s net worth is pegged at 6.8 billion dollars today. Born in Austria, he began the professional phase of his life as a butcher in Vienna. In the 1970s, he bought a number of pinball machines from America and brought them to Austria.

This move proved highly successful, and Graf moved on from there to establish his company, the Novomatic Group. Novomatic has become one of the biggest gambling companies in the world. It currently operates in 31 countries of the world and makes and distributes electronic betting machines.

Graf is responsible for overseeing the company’s operation in more than 1000 casinos around the world. The company, Novomatic, currently controls more than 160,000 machines worldwide. The group is made up of a collection of companies and is composed of Novomatic AG, Gryphon Invest AG, and ACE Casino Holding AG.

Today, the company is a family-run business, and Mr. Graf’s son, Thomas, is the chief executive officer of Austrian Gaming Industries, one of the other subsidiaries of the company.