According to a study by the Korea CXO Institute, the total stock evaluation of 45 group leaders in South Korea has increased by 61% compared to last year. Notably, the stock assets of Lee Jae-yong, the chair of Samsung Electronics, surged by 117% from 12 trillion won to 26 trillion won, surpassing his late father, Lee Kun-hee, and marking him as the country’s wealthiest stockholder.
With the onset of the “KOSPI 4000” era, the stock valuation of the nation’s top 45 group leaders rose by more than 60% over the past year. Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong, in particular, saw his stock assets double over the past year, reaching 25.87 trillion won, surpassing his father’s previous record.
The study targeted 45 leaders of major groups, each with a stock valuation exceeding 1 trillion won at the beginning of January 2026. Among these leaders, Lee Jae-yong’s assets increased most significantly from 11.9 trillion won to 25.9 trillion won over the year.
Additionally, other members of the Samsung family, including honorary director Hong Ra-hee, Shilla Hotel president Lee Boo-jin, and Samsung C&T president Lee Seo-hyun, also saw their stock valuations increase significantly. Hong joined the “10 trillion club” with her stock assets reaching 11.7 trillion won.
The greatest individual increase came from Wonik Group Chairman Lee Yong-han, whose stock valuation jumped sixfold from 1.3 trillion won to 7.8 trillion won, driven by a substantial rise in Wonik Holdings’ share price.
Notably, Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin maintained the second position among the richest in stock assets at 13.69 trillion won, while Kakao founder Kim Beom-su overtook Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun to place third due to a more significant growth in his stock valuation.
The top ten included leaders from various major corporations, showcasing the prosperity among South Korea’s elite business leaders, largely due to the robust performance in the stock market.