Shin Dong-joo Net Worth

Shin Dong-joo has an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Shin Dong-joo profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $1.4 billion.

Shin Dong-joo is a South Korean businessman with deep ties to Lotte, one of South Korea's largest conglomerates. He is the eldest son of founder Shin Kyuk-Ho and built his career through executive jobs inside the group and related companies. Before joining the family business, he worked for Mitsubishi in Japan in 1978. He later took on senior roles at Lotte and became chairman of Kōjunsha.

His wealth is tied to Lotte's broad retail and industrial footprint. Lotte began as a confectionery maker in Japan in 1948 and moved into South Korea in 1967. Over time, the business expanded well beyond sweets into food and beverage, chemicals, construction and professional baseball. Shin Dong-joo held leadership posts during that growth, including director in 1988, executive director in 1991, vice president in 2001, and vice chairman of Lotte Holdings in 2009.

How Shin Dong-joo built his fortune

Shin Dong-joo's fortune comes from his interests in Lotte, a major retail-centered conglomerate with operations across several sectors. The group started in confectionery, then spread into food and beverage, chemicals, construction and professional baseball. That mix gave him exposure to a wide business base rather than a single brand. His path was not as a startup founder. Instead, he rose through management roles at companies connected to the family business.

He joined Lotte Corporation in 1987 after working at Mitsubishi in Japan. From there, he moved up through a series of executive jobs, becoming a director in 1988 and an executive director in 1991. He became vice president in 2001, then vice chairman of Lotte Holdings in 2009. In 2011, he also became vice chairman and president of Lotte International. Those positions tied his wealth closely to Lotte's corporate structure and long-running retail business.

Forbes net worth over time

Forbes has tracked Shin Dong-joo as a billionaire for years, though the estimate has moved around. It was $1.4 billion on the Forbes World's Billionaires List 2015, then $1.2 billion in 2016 and $1.3 billion in 2017. It later shifted to $1.1 billion in 2018 and $1 billion in 2019. Those changes point to a fortune linked to the value of his business interests rather than a paycheck from one operating role.

The estimate stayed at $1 billion in 2021, then moved back up to $1.1 billion in 2025 and $1.2 billion in 2026. Forbes currently places him at $1.3 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. A key career turning point came in 2015, when he was dismissed from his executive positions in the group after a bitter feud with his brother Dong-Bin, even as his wealth remained tied to Lotte-related holdings.