Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of South Korea’s most valuable firm Samsung Electronics Co., saw his stock value gain nearly 3 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in 2012, retaining his position as the country’s wealthiest shareholder for the third straight year, data showed Wednesday.
Lee held 11.65 trillion won worth of shares as of Dec. 28, the last day of trading in 2012, compared with 8.79 trillion won a year earlier, according to data compiled by Chaebul.com., which tracks the country’s conglomerates, known as chaebol in Korean.
Other Samsung clan members made it on the list of the country’s rich stockholders who hold more than 1 trillion won in stocks.
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Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee (center) walks with his hands clasped with his daughter and Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin (left), on his way to participate in Samsung Group’s New Year ceremony at the hotel on Wednesday. (Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald) |
The chairman’s wife, Hong Ra-hee, ranked ninth as the top female stockholder on the list. Her shares were valued at 1.65 trillion won, up 43.9 percent from the previous year.
Lee’s only son Lee Jay-yong, who was promoted to vice chairman in 2012, also joined the “1 trillion won club” with holdings worth 1.28 trillion won.
Also among the top shareholders were Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo with 6.7 trillion won and his son Hyundai Motor vice chairman Chung Eui-sun with 3.05 trillion won, according to the data.
In the entertainment sector, YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk reigned as the richest entertainment tycoon with his shares valued at 219.5 billion won. Yang’s agency manages rapper Psy who became a YouTube sensation this year with his viral hit “Gangnam Style.” (Yonhap News)
