South KoreaInherited it
Jay Y. Lee
Jay Y. Lee, grandson of Samsung's founder, is executive chairman of Samsung Electronics; his fortune is Samsung stock, largely inherited after his father Lee Kun-hee died in 2020.
- Forbes estimate
- $26.7B
- Forbes, 15 Oct 2026
- Forbes rank
- No. 84
- 9 Oct 2026
- Stake in Samsung C&T
- 21.8%
- Net worth, Bloomberg
- $29.8B
- Bloomberg, 12 Oct 2026
- Born
- Not stated
- Education
- Not stated
- Seoul National University and Keio University; attended Harvard Business School without graduating
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
Where the fortune sits
Samsung Electronics and Samsung C&T stock
Samsung Electronics
chips, phones and electronics, founded 1969
After buying 7,188,793 shares from his mother in an off-exchange deal set for 12 October 2026
Company disclosure, as reported by The Korea Times, 12 Oct 2026
Executive chairman
Samsung C&T
de facto holding company, construction and trading
35,688,797 common shares; 22.0% of common shares excluding preferred
Samsung C&T ownership disclosure, 30 Jun 2026
Not stated
Where Jay stands among 73
Everyone on the site, grouped by their answer. Jay Y. Lee is outlined.
How the fortune started
Inherited it
Inherited it 6
Founded it 42
Inherited and grew it 12
Built it up 8
Through marriage 5
Industry
Technology
Technology 24
Finance 10
Several industries 9
Metals and mining 6
Retail 4
Fashion and beauty 4
Media 3
Food and drink 3
Shipping 3
Crypto 2
Oil, gas and chemicals 2
Healthcare 1
Casinos and resorts 1
Property and sports 1
Giving Pledge
Not a signer
Not a signer 61
Signed 11
Not stated 1
Education
Not stated
Not stated 11
Bachelor's degree 27
Graduate degree 24
Left university without a degree 6
No university 5
Role today
Runs the company
Runs the company 32
Chair, board or owner 25
Founder, no executive role 8
No role 4
Retired 4
The person
- Born
- Not stated
- Citizenship
- South Korea
- Lives in
- Seoul, South Korea
- Education
- Not statedSeoul National University and Keio University; attended Harvard Business School without graduating
- Parents
- Son of Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, long South Korea's richest person, and Hong Ra-hee, a former director of Samsung's Leeum art museum
What they give
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
- Foundation
- Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation and Samsung Foundation of CultureHe was named head of both Samsung foundations in 2015, succeeding his father
- Lifetime giving
- Not stated
Role and record
- Role now
- Runs the companyExecutive chairman of Samsung Electronics
- Successor
- None named; his sister Lee Seo-hyun became president of Samsung C&T in 2024 and his sister Lee Boo-jin is president and CEO of Hotel Shilla
- Public office
- None found
- Legal record
- 2021, South Korean courtsSentenced in January 2021 to two and a half years in prison on bribery charges tied to the influence-peddling scandal around former President Park Geun-hye, after a 2017 arrest and a retrial; released early and pardoned by the president in August 2022.
