Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, saw his stock valuation increase by over 28 trillion won during Q2 2026 as South Korean stocks rallied. Between March 31 and June 30, Lee's holdings rose from 30.9414 trillion won to 59.1878 trillion won, a 91.3% gain, according to a survey released on July 14 by Korea CXO Research Institute. Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, joined the '10 trillion club' for the first time after his stock assets surged 176.9%, from 3.9101 trillion won to 10.8259 trillion won during the same period. The survey analyzed 46 conglomerate chairmen with stock holdings exceeding 100 billion won as of June 30, including both direct shareholdings in listed companies and indirect stakes held through unlisted subsidiaries where the chairman owns at least 50% of the entity.
Lee Jae-yong Records Largest Absolute Stock Valuation Gain in Q2 2026
Lee Jae-yong's stock valuation increased by 28.2463 trillion won during Q2 2026, the largest absolute gain among surveyed conglomerate chairmen. His holdings grew from 30.9414 trillion won on March 31 to 59.1878 trillion won on June 30, representing a 91.3% increase. The Korea CXO Research Institute calculated valuations using closing prices on March 31 and June 30.
Chey Tae-won Joins 10 Trillion Won Club with 176.9% Increase
Chey Tae-won recorded the highest percentage increase in stock valuation among all surveyed chairmen at 176.9%. His holdings rose from 3.9101 trillion won to 10.8259 trillion won, an increase of 6.9158 trillion won. This marked Chey's first entry into the '10 trillion club' of chairmen with stock assets exceeding 10 trillion won. As of June 30, three chairmen held stock valuations above 10 trillion won: Lee Jae-yong (59.1878 trillion won), Seo Jung-jin of Celltrion Group (11.8944 trillion won), and Chey Tae-won (10.8259 trillion won).
Additional Chairmen Recording Over 1 Trillion Won Gains
Nine chairmen recorded stock valuation increases exceeding 1 trillion won during Q2 2026. Following Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won, the rankings by absolute increase were: Cho Hyun-joon of Hyosung (971.3 billion won), Koo Kwang-mo of LG (386.2 billion won), Park Jung-won of Doosan (279.9 billion won), Chung Ji-sun of Hyundai Department Store (260.1 billion won), Chung Euisun of Hyundai Motor (235 billion won), Shin Dong-bin of Lotte (118.6 billion won), and Koo Ja-eun of LS (117.7 billion won).
Five chairmen recorded percentage increases exceeding 20%: Chey Tae-won (176.9%), Lee Jae-yong (91.3%), Koo Ja-eun (34.1%), Chung Ji-sun (27.6%), and Cho Hyun-joon (27.1%).
Top 10 Chairmen by Stock Holdings as of June 30
Sixteen chairmen held stock assets exceeding 1 trillion won as of June 30. The top 10 rankings were: Lee Jae-yong (59.1878 trillion won), Seo Jung-jin (11.8944 trillion won), Chey Tae-won (10.8259 trillion won), Chung Euisun (7.7577 trillion won), Cho Hyun-joon (4.5523 trillion won), Chung Mong-joon of Asan Foundation (4.1917 trillion won), Kim Beom-su of Kakao (3.6412 trillion won), Lee Dong-chae of Ecopro (2.7263 trillion won), Bang Si-hyuk of Hybe (2.5263 trillion won), and Koo Kwang-mo (2.5185 trillion won).
Additional members of the 1 trillion won club included Park Jung-won (1.9673 trillion won), Lee Jae-hyun of CJ (1.9263 trillion won), Chang Byung-gyu of Krafton (1.8674 trillion won), Seo Kyung-bae of Amorepacific (1.6064 trillion won), Lee Hae-jin of Naver (1.2198 trillion won), and Chung Ji-sun (1.2019 trillion won).
Survey Reveals Concentration of Gains Among Two Chairmen
The combined stock valuation of all 46 surveyed chairmen increased 28%, from 104.4301 trillion won to 133.6207 trillion won during Q2 2026. However, excluding Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won, the aggregate valuation decreased 8.6%. Oh Il-sun, director of Korea CXO Research Institute, stated: "The group chairmen hold around 150 stock items, but about two-thirds of these saw price declines during Q2. In Q3, adjustments are expected in stocks that have risen more relative to earnings, and market volatility will increase as individual profit-taking and external variables overlap."
FAQ
Q: What was Lee Jae-yong's stock valuation increase during Q2 2026?
A: Lee Jae-yong's stock valuation increased by 28.2463 trillion won during Q2 2026, rising from 30.9414 trillion won on March 31 to 59.1878 trillion won on June 30, according to Korea CXO Research Institute.
Q: How did Chey Tae-won join the 10 trillion won club?
A: Chey Tae-won's stock holdings increased 176.9% during Q2 2026, from 3.9101 trillion won to 10.8259 trillion won, marking his first entry into the group of chairmen with stock assets exceeding 10 trillion won.
Q: What methodology did Korea CXO Research Institute use for the survey?
A: The institute surveyed 46 conglomerate chairmen with stock holdings over 100 billion won as of June 30, including direct shareholdings in listed companies and indirect stakes through unlisted subsidiaries where the chairman owns at least 50% of the entity. Valuations were calculated using closing prices on March 31 and June 30.
