Lee Jay-hyun Net Worth

Lee Jay-hyun has an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Lee Jay-hyun profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $2.8 billion.

Lee Jay-hyun is a South Korean businessman and the chairman of CJ Group. He started at Citibank in 1983, then joined CheilJedang in 1985 at his grandfather’s request. After holding management jobs, he became chairman in 2002. He is known for leading a business that spans food products and entertainment. CJ officially separated from Samsung in 1997, giving the group its own path as it expanded.

Much of Lee’s wealth is tied to CJ Group’s mix of food and media businesses. Forbes says his fortune comes from food products and entertainment. A key asset is CJ CheilJedang, described by Forbes as South Korea’s largest food and beverage company. CJ also made a notable entertainment move in 1995, when it paid $300 million for an 11% stake in DreamWorks SKG, linking the group to global film production.

How Lee Jay-hyun built his fortune

Lee’s money is connected to CJ Group, the company he leads as chairman. Forbes places the group in the diversified category, with wealth tied to food products and entertainment. The food side includes CJ CheilJedang, which Forbes describes as the country’s largest food and beverage company. CJ began as a sugar mill and helped increase domestic sugar production after the Korean War, giving the business an early base in consumer staples.

His career inside the family business began in 1985, after a start at Citibank in 1983. He later rose to chairman in 2002. Under his leadership, CJ grew beyond its original food roots into a broader group with major entertainment interests. One early step came in 1995, when CJ bought an 11% stake in DreamWorks SKG for $300 million. That deal showed how the company was reaching outside food into media.

Forbes net worth over time

Forbes has tracked large swings in Lee’s estimated fortune over the years. It put his net worth at $1.6 billion in 2014, then $2.2 billion in 2015 and $2.8 billion in 2016. After that, the estimate moved down to $2.1 billion in 2017 and $2 billion in 2018. Those changes fit the fact that his wealth is tied to a diversified group with exposure to more than one industry.

The Forbes estimate kept moving in later years. It fell to $1.5 billion in 2019 and $1.2 billion in 2021, then climbed to $1.9 billion on the Forbes World’s Billionaires List in 2026. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker showed $1.2 billion. Because his fortune is linked to CJ’s food and entertainment businesses, the estimate can shift as views of those holdings change.