Lee Kun-Hee was a former chairman of Samsung Electronics until he resigned in Spring of 2008 due to involvement with a Samsung funds scandal (which he was later pardoned for). Here are some pictures of him at CES 2010 checking out Sony’s 3D TV experience, but of course he also checked out the other manufacturers booths extensively. Interestingly enough, CES 2010 was one of Lee Kun-hee’s first real public appearances since the whole embarrassing debacle in 2008. Lee Kun-Hee was quite outspoken at CES, stating that “Japan will not catch up to Samsung Electronics.” He also went on to say that “..he is not intimidated by other companies, such as Sony and Panasonic, to outpace them to the question of them gnashing their teeth waiting for the opportunity to rise above.”
Aside from being a CEO for many years for Samsung, he also happens to be one of the top South Korean billionaires with a net worth at more than 3 billion. Lee is married to Hong Ra-hee, currently one of the wealthiest women in Korea, who is also an executive director of the Hoam Foundation. His son is currently vice president of Samsung Electronics, his oldest daughter is a vice president of Samsung-affiliated Shilla Hotel, a luxury hotel and duty free store chain, and his second daughter is the vice president of Cheil Industries.
He also briefly gave a heads up on the third generation inheritance of Samsung Electronics; as reporters crowded around Mr. Lee, he gathered his two daughters and held their hands and said, “I should publicly show off my two daughters” adding more anticipation of Mr. Lee’s intention of the next company leader. When asked whether his two daughters are learning well, Mr. Lee responded saying, “They have lot more to learn and I still feel as though I am holding hands of two youngsters.”
He is the third son of the overall Samsung Group founder Byung-Chull Lee, who started the company in 1938. At the start, his business focused primarily on trade export, selling dried Korean fish, vegetables, and fruit to Manchuria and Beijing. In little more than a decade, Samsung – which means “three stars” in Korean – would have its own flour mills and confectionery machines, its own manufacturing and sales operations, and ultimately evolve to become the modern global corporation that still bears the same name today.
