Lee Jae-yong (also known as Jay Y. Lee), born 23 June 1968 in Seoul, is the Executive Chairman of Samsung Electronics — the central figure of the Samsung Group, one of the world's largest industrial conglomerates. He is the third generation of the Lee family in Samsung leadership.
The Family's Roots: The Samsung Lee Dynasty
Lee Byung-chul (1910–1987) — Jae-yong's grandfather; founder of Samsung in 1938 as a trading company.
Lee Kun-hee (1942–2020) — Jae-yong's father; Chairman of Samsung 1987–2008 and 2010–2020; built Samsung Electronics into a global technology leader.
His Mother
Hong Ra-hee, born 1945, is the daughter of media tycoon Hong Jin-ki. Hong Ra-hee chairs the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul.
His Siblings
Lee Boo-jin, born 6 October 1970 — elder sister; CEO of Hotel Shilla.
Lee Seo-hyun, born 18 September 1973 — younger sister; President of Samsung Welfare Foundation and Samsung C&T's fashion division (Cheil Industries).
His Wife: Im Se-ryeong
Im Se-ryeong, daughter of Daesang Group's founder Lim Chang-wook, was Jae-yong's wife. They married in 1998, divorced in 2009.
His Children
Lee Won-ju, born around 2001 — daughter.
Lee Ji-ho, born around 2005 — son; heir apparent to the Samsung leadership.
The Lee Samsung Family Tree at a Glance
Grandfather: Lee Byung-chul (1910 – 1987) — founder of Samsung (1938).
Father: Lee Kun-hee (1942 – 2020) — Chairman of Samsung 1987–2008, 2010–2020.
Mother: Hong Ra-hee (b. 1945) — chairs Leeum Museum.
Sisters: Lee Boo-jin (b. 6 October 1970) — CEO, Hotel Shilla; Lee Seo-hyun (b. 18 September 1973) — President, Samsung Welfare Foundation.
Ex-Wife: Im Se-ryeong (m. 1998, div. 2009).
Children: Lee Won-ju (~2001); Lee Ji-ho (~2005).
Lee Jae-yong:
- Born 23 June 1968, Seoul
- Seoul National University (BA East Asian History)
- Keio University, Tokyo (MA)
- Harvard Business School (incomplete PhD)
- Convicted of bribery (2017) — served prison time before pardon (2022)
- Executive Chairman, Samsung Electronics from October 2022
What the Samsung Lee Family Story Teaches Us
Three generations of Samsung leadership. A founder grandfather. A father who built the global Samsung Electronics. A mother who chairs the country's most famous private art museum. Two sisters running their own Samsung subsidiaries. A son heir apparent.
For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Samsung Lee story carries the same lesson. Family-business inheritance shapes entire economies. The Lee family controls the largest Korean chaebol; the inheritance of company shares within the family is one of the most-watched corporate-finance stories of modern Korea. Write down the inheritance structures of your own family. They define the future as much as the past.
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