The Lee family founded Samsung in South Korea in 1938 and remains associated with its control.
Lee Byung-chul established Samsung Sanghoe as a small trading company in Daegu on 1 March 1938. The business later expanded into electronics, shipbuilding, construction, financial services and other industries, creating the Samsung Group.
Lee Kun-hee, Lee Byung-chul’s son, became chairman in 1987 and led Samsung’s transformation into a global technology company. Lee Jae-yong, Lee Kun-hee’s son, became executive chairman of Samsung Electronics in 2022.
Samsung Electronics is the best-known company in the group, but Samsung is a wider collection of affiliated businesses. The Lee family’s influence has historically involved ownership stakes and relationships among group companies, rather than the family owning every Samsung share directly. Samsung should also not be confused with South Korea’s Hyundai, SK or LG groups, which have different founding families.