Published: July 6, 2026, 05:40 AM ET 4 min read It has been a wild ride for Virtual Gaming World’s (VGW) Laurence Escalante, but like any rollercoaster, it eventually had to come to an end. This past Friday, Escalante formally stepped down from his role as CEO and Chairman of the company, which posted more than $5 billion USD in revenue in 2025. Escalante founded the company out of a coworking space and his own basement in Perth, Australia, just 15 years ago in 2010.