Laurence Escalante is now one of Australia’s youngest and most famous billionaires. As the founder and CEO of Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), he has become one of the richest businesspeople in the country in the last few years. His story includes a humble start, new technology, extravagant spending, and fame around the world.
Life and Schooling as a Child
Escalante was born in Western Australia to Filipino parents and grew up in a poor family. His dad worked at BHP as a computer programmer, and his mum worked at Centrelink. Laurence remembers eating mostly Vegemite sandwiches as a child, and he admits that even though he is Filipino, he never learned the language.
His first jobs were nothing like the world of billion-dollar businesses, just like most teens. He worked at Hungry Jack’s for $5.65 an hour and later at The Reject Shop. He was determined to improve himself, so he studied economics and actuarial science at Macquarie University in Sydney. After that, he worked in finance for ten years. His early work in tax, superannuation, and investment advice gave him financial knowledge that would help him when he started working in gaming.
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Starting Virtual Gaming Worlds
Escalante started Virtual Gaming Worlds in 2010 from a shared office in Perth. At first, the company made games through Facebook. Later, it made its own platforms. VGW released Chumba Casino two years later, then Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots.
VGW’s dual-coin sweepstakes model was the new idea. Players buy gold coins to play the game, and they also get entries into sweepstakes that can be turned into cash prizes. VGW was able to do business in the US, even though online gambling laws are very strict, by calling itself a “social gaming” company.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point. VGW’s user base grew a lot as millions of people were stuck at home. The company made more than $200 million in profits in 2020, more than well-known tech companies like Atlassian and Canva that year. By 2024, VGW made $6.13 billion a year and made almost $492 million in profit.
Escalante still owns most of the company, with about 70% of it. In 2025, he started a plan to buy the last 30% through his family office, Lance East Office. This put VGW’s value at $3.2 billion. He is very direct when he leads. He told investors who didn’t believe him to “sell their shares” in a private Telegram chat.
Assets and Net Worth
Escalante’s wealth has changed over time, but he has always been on the Australian Financial Review Rich List. He made his first appearance in 2021, when he was worth about $2.15 billion. In 2022, his net worth rose to $3.9 billion, but it fell again in 2023. By 2025, his nett worth had risen again to about $4.5 billion, which is a 20% increase in just one year.
He shows off his wealth by living in luxury. He bought a condo in South Perth for $7.5 million in 2022. He also has a Bombardier private jet worth more than $120 million, as well as yachts, watches, and shares in technology companies like Icetana (ICE), which is listed on the ASX. VGW now has about 600 employees around the world, with a lot of them in the Philippines. This connects his business to his family’s history.
The Lee Collection
His love of cars is Escalante’s most well-known weakness. He has built what is now thought to be one of the most impressive private hypercar and supercar collections in the world over the last three years. The Lee Collection started with 49 cars in 2022 and grew to more than 120 cars in 2023. Escalante had more than 120 cars by 2025, and he had ordered 70 more, bringing the total to almost 190.
The fleet has famous cars like the Ferrari FXX K, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Aston Martin V12 Speedster, Lamborghini Aventador Ultimate Roadster, Porsche 918, and a few rare McLarens and Paganis. Escalante is different from collectors who keep their cars locked up. He drives them often and even lets friends and influencers ride in them. People often see his cars at meets in Perth, and they’ve been used for good causes, like the Driven Project, which gives sick kids rides in supercars.
Lifestyle and how others see you
Escalante has built a name for himself as a billionaire playboy. After his divorce from Sarita, the mother of his four children, he has been linked to a number of women, such as lawyer Sian Whyte, model Jacinta Constantine, and OnlyFans star Corinna Kopf. According to reports, Kopf flew to Perth at Escalante’s request to look at his car collection.
His way of life often makes news. A valet at Crown Perth crashed one of his Lamborghinis in 2023. He was robbed while on vacation in Greece in 2025. He lost money, designer clothes, and watches. He was once charged with having a small amount of drugs, but the charge was dropped when he agreed to a good behaviour bond. Investors also didn’t like that he sponsored a Ferrari F1 team because they thought it was more of a personal interest than a business move.
Giving money to good causes
Even though he lives a flashy life, Escalante has helped charities. He supports SheCodes (formerly Perth Web Girls), which promotes gender diversity in technology. He says, “Getting more women to study and work in technology will help the sector stay strong and successful.” He has also helped the Driven Project through his Lee Collection, which makes sick children happy.
Last Word
The story of Laurence Escalante is one of change. He has gone from working at Hungry Jack’s to building a billion-dollar gaming empire, making him one of Australia’s richest people. His journey combines a love of luxury with new technology, which keeps his name and cars in the news.
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