I think the one behind the Liar Game is...

[Cyrs]

Akiyama.

Here's the reasoning.

(Could be wrong of course, it's just a theory. But I think there's a really good chance it's correct.)

First, what do we know?

1. Akiyama swindled a huge corporation, and took them down.
2. He went to prison for it.
3. He almost certainly got tons of money from swindling the corporation.
4. He didn't do it for greed, he did it as payback for his mother's death.
5. The LGT staff themselves don't know many things, for example what game the next dealer will announce.

So the questions are:

1. What did he do with the money he took from the corporation?
2. Why did Liar Game seem to start up when he got out of prison?
3. How does the LGT have so much cash to loan out to contestants?
4. Why have we never seen them forcefully collect on debts?
5. Why did the fake lawyer working for the LGT tell Nao about Akiyama?
6. Why do the LGT staff wear masks?
7. What really happens to the losers?
8. Why is the Liar Game set up so that people can beat the game if they work together?
9. Is Nao correct, that the purpose of Liar Game is essentially to teach people to give up on greed?

---

So, I think there are 2 good answers:

Nao is wrong:
The LGT is the corporation that Akiyama took down, and they're getting back at him by involving Nao, who they know reminds him of his mother, in an effort to manipulate him.

Nao is right:
Using the money he stole from the corporation, Akiyama anonymously set up the LGT with the purpose of punishing the greedy and forcing them to change their way of thinking in order to escape.

---

Conclusion:

I think Nao is right.

Akiyama took down that MLM corporation, which was responsible for his mother's death. In an effort to prevent something like that from happening again, he came up with a way to lure the most greedy people around and trap them inside Liar Game. In order to escape, they must give up on their greed. Before going to prison, he used all the money he took from the MLM and created the LGT. The LGT staff are probably unaware of who really set it up or what its true purpose is. The LGT staff are quite possibly players who lost, and now are told they must work off their debts, hence the masks.

In the beginning, Akiyama told Nao that the LGT's threats were bogus. They just scared people into playing. And once players had taken money, they were scared that they couldn't go to the police since they might also be looked at as criminals. They also use vague threats to keep people following the LGT's rules, even though we've never seen them do anything at all to the losers. In fact, the LGT simply gives the losers more chances with revival games.

The LGT cannot be making a profit from this. They continually loan money out to the players. Yet, instead of collecting from the losers, they loan them even more money for revival rounds. The business model makes little sense if they're trying to make a profit. It would be near impossible to ever begin to collect huge debts from people who are bankrupt. The LGT must have a lot of cash in order to operate.

Near the beginning, Akiyama told Nao, "Don't trust people. Doubt them." And I doubt Akiyama is what he seems.

[Josef K.]

I would have this as an explanation and/or an ending any day. Really though, if Kaitani manages to pull something even more genius than this it will be hats off to him as well. Though I think your theory, if not completely true, certainly does have some parts that will be true. The former players being staff for the LGT now, that would explain the mask theme that we have been seeing a lot, and the masks all have neutral to sad looks. There might be a lot of symbolism if we just dig deeper, or dig too deep. Though I find this as one of the best theories/posts I have read in a while.

[Reclaimer]

Storm warning.

So the questions are:

1. What did he do with the money he took from the corporation?

You don't get to keep money you steal. And if he did what was necessary to get away with the money, he'd never be released from prison.

2. Why did Liar Game seem to start up when he got out of prison?

It started days before he got out of prison. And I'm going to call B.S. on the possibility of ANYONE organizing a game on such a scale from prison. I don't care how smart Akiyama is, the limitations of prison are just too great.

3. How does the LGT have so much cash to loan out to contestants?

The amounts of cash that the Liar Game is "loaning" out is not obscene. It isn't unreasonable for a criminal organization to come up with 20 million in cash for short periods of time. (note: we rarely actually see stacks of cash. We mainly see them assigning value to things or dealing in money on paper)

4. Why have we never seen them forcefully collect on debts?

7. What really happens to the losers?

None of the characters we have followed have quit the game in debt. All the players who have lost the revival games we have witnessed have done so without debt.

5. Why did the fake lawyer working for the LGT tell Nao about Akiyama?

He was screwing with her. And note, he didn't just immediately come out and say that she should contact him. He jokingly mentioned using a scam artist to deal with a scam artist then a few days later she asked how to find a scam artist and he blurted out his name.

6. Why do the LGT staff wear masks?

What they are doing is not strictly legal.

8. Why is the Liar Game set up so that people can beat the game if they work together?

Because in a competitive environment, alliances are always better than working alone. And note, they aren't "beating" the game. They aren't making money. If you have a game in which players almost only lose money to each other, if everyone decides to work together, there would be no way to design a game that could prevent that.

9. Is Nao correct, that the purpose of Liar Game is essentially to teach people to give up on greed?

No. Without greed, there is no motivation. If hard work does not allow someone to advance their lot in life, why would anyone work hard?

The LGT cannot be making a profit from this. They continually loan money out to the players. Yet, instead of collecting from the losers, they loan them even more money for revival rounds. The business model makes little sense if they're trying to make a profit. It would be near impossible to ever begin to collect huge debts from people who are bankrupt. The LGT must have a lot of cash in order to operate.

Both the profits and losses are almost entirely on paper. A player being up a few hundred million yen at the end of game only matters if they end the game and cash out. Until then, their profits are ethereal.

[OwlRed]

Ehhh...

I hope it's not Akiyama. I doubt it too. It would have to be someone with a lot of clout, power, money, etc, to hire out an entire island and an airport, plus make all the technological things, like with the ATMs, work. Also, I can't see Akiyama doing something like this. Personality wise, as he is at the beginning, he's more likely to become a recluse, or even commit suicide, or to take on 'big evil corportiions' for kicks. This sort of thing, which involves innocent people he at least feels some sympathy for, eventually, is not his way of punishing people like those who ran the ponzi scheme that his mum got involved with.

I think it will be someone who is simply massively rich, probably corrupt, behind all this. Why they're doing it...

...maybe to prove that greed destroys people? Maybe they're just bored.