Henk Rogers' net worth: from Tetris to a multimillion-dollar empire

Henk Rogers' net worth: from Tetris to a multimillion-dollar empire

Henk Rogers' net worth, estimated in millions, reflects more than just financial success as it embodies his transformative influence across gaming, business, and environmental advocacy. From securing the rights to Tetris to championing renewable energy initiatives, Rogers has consistently leveraged his wealth and expertise for global betterment.

I firmly believe that a successful person should use their time, talent and money to fix something that is broken about the world. Today I only spend time on things that are important to me.
Henk Rogers' net worth is mainly from video game businesses
Henk has founded and co-founded over 10 companies and non-profit organisations, including the Blue Planet Foundation. Photo: @Henk Brouwer Rogers on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: Facebook

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Henk built his financial empire through involvement in the video game industry.
  • Rogers helped promote Tetris to a global sensational.
  • Henk is deeply involved in philanthropy, focusing on renewable energy and sustainability.

Henk Rogers' profile summary

Full nameHenk Brouwer Rogers
GenderMale
Date of birthDecember 24, 1953
Age 71 years (as of March 2025)
Place of birthAmsterdam, Netherlands
Current residence Hawaii, United States
Nationality Dutch
EthnicityMixed
Height 5 feet 11 inches
Weight 85 kg (approx)
SiblingsEddy Rogers
Relationship statusMarried
Wife Akemi Rogers
ChildrenMaya Rogers-Kiyomura, Julie Rogers, Leonard Rogers and Michael Rogers
EducationStuyvesant High School, University of Hawaii
Profession Video game designer and entrepreneur

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Henk Rogers' net worth and career earnings

According to CAknowledge, Henk Rogers' estimated worth is $22 million. He derived his vast wealth from his video game industry.

Henk explained how he grew up loving puzzles, hence his love for video games. He said,

I played with Lego a lot as a child and enjoyed that you had to use your imagination to build something, kind of like Tetris.
I was always a gamer, and I would still be a coder if I didn’t have to run my various companies.
Henk Rogers runs multiple businesses
Henk and Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris' creator, co-founded The Tetris Company in 1996. Photo: @Henk Brouwer Rogers on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: Original

The Black Onyx

Henk Rogers gained recognition by developing The Black Onyx, one of Japan's first successful role-playing games. The Black Onyx sold over 150,000 copies and influenced major franchises like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. In 1984, he co-founded Bullet-Proof Software, a game development company.

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The Tetris Company

In 1996, Rogers founded Tetris Company with the game's creator, Alexey Pajitnov, to manage the game's licensing. Henk serves as the company's president.

Blue Lava Wireless

Henk Rogers founded Blue Lava Wireless in 2002 in Hawaii. The company focused on developing and publishing mobile games, with its first major release being Tetris for Sprint's PCS Vision service in August 2002.

Blue Lava Wireless quickly became a leader in the mobile gaming industry, achieving milestones like earning over $1 million in revenue within its first 16 months of operation. In 2005, he sold the mobile game publishing company for $137 million.

Henk Rogers' net worth is mainly from video game businesses
Henk Rogers at the "Tetris" world premiere at SXSW at The Paramount Theatre on March 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas.Photo by Rick Kern
Source: Getty Images

Exploring Henk Rogers' houses and properties

Henk reportedly owns two homes in Hawaii: one in Honolulu and another on the Big Island. His Honolulu home, located on Tantalus, is a multigenerational residence accommodating seven family members from three generations.

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The house features modern conveniences, including energy-efficient appliances and solar panels, with Blue Ion batteries storing energy in the garage to keep it off the grid.

Henk's Big Island ranch, Puu Waawaa, is a laboratory for his renewable energy ventures. The ranch is entirely off-grid, powered by solar energy and Blue Ion batteries.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about Henk Rogers, a rich video gamer, designer and entrepreneur:

What happened to Henk Rogers?

After selling a huge portion of his stake in the Tetris Company for $130 million, Rogers suffered a life-threatening heart attack in 2005. During a 2025 interview, the Dutch-born video developer explained how this life-altering moment made him realise his mission of fighting climate change through renewable energy. Henk said,

I decided I was going to find my mission in life, and the first mission came to me in the back of a newspaper. So mission number one is to end the use of carbon-based fuel.

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Henk Rogers derived his vast wealth from Tetris
Rogers is also a climate change activist working towards a carbon-free planet by 2045. Photo: @Henk Brouwer Rogers on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: Facebook

How did Henk Rogers get Tetris?

Henk Rogers secured the rights to Tetris through negotiations during the late 1980s. After discovering the game at the 1988 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Rogers acquired Japanese distribution rights for console versions through Spectrum Holobyte.

However, he soon realised that his agreement was not fully valid. To resolve this, Rogers travelled to Moscow in 1989 and negotiated with its officials, securing exclusive rights for handheld devices. He later licensed to Nintendo for their Game Boy system.

While in Moscow, Rogers met Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris' creator, and formed a strong partnership. In 1996, they co-founded The Tetris Company to manage worldwide licensing and protect the brand.

Henk Rogers at The New York Society for Ethical Culture
Henk Rogers during a global climate crisis meeting held at The New York Society for Ethical Culture. Photo by Erik McGregor
Source: Getty Images

How much money did Tetris make?

Tetris has generated over $1 billion in total revenue since its inception. The game's vast net worth accounts for its success across multiple platforms, including its massive popularity on over 50 platforms. The game has sold over 520 million copies worldwide, with over 615 million mobile downloads.

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How much is the creator of Tetris worth?

According to The Cinemaholic, Alexey Pajitnov's net worth is around $20 million. His wealth primarily stems from the royalties and profits generated by Tetris since he regained the rights in the mid-1990s.

Henk Rogers' net worth has skyrocketed following the success of his video gaming businesses, such as Tetris and The Black Onyx. He is also a climate change activist working towards a carbon-free planet.

READ ALSO: Who is Henk Rogers' wife?

Briefly.co.za published an article about Henk Rogers' wife, Akemi Rogers. They tied the knot in 1977, and they have four children.

Alongside Henk, Akemi founded the Henk & Akemi Rogers Ohana Foundation to give back to the community.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Bennett Yates avatar

Bennett Yates (Lifestyle writer) Bennett Yates is a content creator with over five years of working experience in journalism and copywriting. He graduated from the University of Nairobi (2017) with a Bachelor's in Information Technology. In 2023, Bennett finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. He started working for Briefly in 2019. You can reach him via email at bennetyates@gmail.com.

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