Takahara is the chief executive of Unicharm, the largest maker of baby diapers and feminine care products in Japan. The Tokyo-based company had revenue of 688.3 billion yen ($6.2 billion) in 2018 and sells its products in over 80 countries. He's the eldest son of company founder Keiichiro Takahara who died in 2018.
Takahisa Takahara's net worth of $8.39B can buy ...
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The majority of Takahara's fortune is derived from his stake in publicly traded Unicharm, the largest maker of baby diapers and feminine care products in Japan, according to its 2018 annual report.
The Tokyo-based company reported revenue of 688.3 billion yen ($6.2 billion) in 2018 and sells its products in over 80 countries, according to its website. Closely held Unitech and the Takahara Foundation control 29% of Unicharm, according to its 2019 semi-annual report. Company filings show that Takahara and his relatives control Unitech and the foundation, and their shares are credited to Takahara in this analysis to reflect his control as chief executive and president.
The value of his cash investments is based on an analysis of dividends, taxes and market performance. Cash assets that were previously held by his father, Keiichiro Takahara, the late founder of the company, have been included here based on the assumption that he inherited them after his father's death.
Izumi Kagitani, a spokesperson for Unicharm, declined to comment on the net worth calculation.
Takahara was born in 1961 as the eldest son of Keiichiro Takahara, the late founder of Unicharm. His father started the company as a manufacturer of building materials. In 1963, it shifted the business focus and began producing feminine hygiene products. The company expanded its operations into the baby diaper market with the introduction of the moony brand in 1981. Its personal care products include the Mamy Poko line of diapers and baby care products, as well as the Sofy line of sanitary napkins.
Takahara had a banking job before joining Unicharm in 1991. He took over the reins as the company's president in 2001. Unicharm made inroads into the overseas market in 1984 and its products were sold in more than 80 countries by 2019. The company expanded its pet-care business in the U.S. market in 2011, when it bought a 51 percent stake in Hartz Mountain Corp., which is based in Secaucus, N.J.
His father died in October 2018.