Lee Seo-hyun’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $1.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $1.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $1.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $3.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $2.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $3.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $9.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $9.6 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Lee Seo-hyun’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Lee Seo-hyun has an estimated net worth of $9.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Lee Seo-hyun profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.7 billion in 2019.
Lee Seo-hyun is a South Korean businesswoman and fashion designer known for senior roles inside Samsung. She joined Samsung Group's Cheil Industries in 2002 after graduating from the Parsons School of Design in New York. She became a key figure in the group's fashion business by helping develop Bean Pole, a casual-wear brand. Her career then moved through leadership posts at Cheil Industries, Everland, and Samsung C&T, with a focus on design, branding, and management.
Her wealth is tied to Samsung, according to Forbes, which places her in the technology industry. She also leads work outside the group's commercial brands. Lee oversees the Samsung Welfare Foundation, created by her late father Lee Kun-hee, and heads the advisory board at the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul. In 2024, she returned to Samsung C&T as president of strategic planning, adding another top job to a long Samsung career.
How Lee Seo-hyun makes money
Lee Seo-hyun's fortune comes from Samsung, and her public career has been built inside the group's fashion and strategy businesses. She started at Cheil Industries in 2002 as a manager after studying design in New York. From there, she became known for brand work, especially her role in developing Bean Pole. That early success helped establish her as one of the group's best-known executives in fashion and consumer branding.
Her responsibilities expanded over time. She served as vice president of Cheil Industries until 2013, then became president of Everland's fashion division at the end of 2013. From December 2015 until December 2018, she led Samsung C&T's fashion division. In 2024, she rejoined Samsung C&T as president of strategic planning. Alongside those business roles, she also oversees the Samsung Welfare Foundation and leads the advisory board at the Leeum museum in Seoul.
Brands, deals, and Forbes wealth
Several projects stand out in Lee's business record. She was behind the 2011 acquisition of Colombo via della Spiga, an Italian exotic leather brand. In 2014, she partnered with YG Entertainment to launch Nonagon, a street fashion brand. Those moves showed how her work extended beyond internal management into brand building and deals. They also helped shape her reputation inside Samsung as an executive with strong ties to fashion, design, and long-term planning.
Forbes has recorded major changes in her wealth over the years. Its estimate was $1.7 billion in 2019, rose to $3.5 billion in 2022, and reached $9.5 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. Forbes now puts her at $9.6 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. The through line in those estimates is her connection to Samsung, which Forbes names as the source of her wealth.
Career and money timeline
- 2002
She joined Samsung Group's Cheil Industries as a manager.
- 2011
She was behind the acquisition of Colombo via della Spiga.
- 2014
She launched Nonagon with YG Entertainment.
- 2015
She became president of Samsung C&T's fashion division in December 2015.
- 2024
She returned to Samsung C&T as president of strategic planning.
Lee Seo-hyun net worth FAQ
What is Lee Seo-hyun's net worth?
Lee Seo-hyun's net worth is an estimated $9.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Lee Seo-hyun profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Lee Seo-hyun get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Samsung.
Is Lee Seo-hyun a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Lee Seo-hyun is worth $9.6 billion.
How has Lee Seo-hyun's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $1.7 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $9.6 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Lee Seo-hyun known for at Samsung?
She is known for fashion and brand leadership inside the group, then for a senior strategy role at Samsung C&T. Her work includes Bean Pole, Colombo via della Spiga, and Nonagon.
What does Forbes say about her wealth?
Forbes ties her wealth to Samsung. It currently estimates her net worth at $9.6 billion on its real-time tracker as of October 20, 2026.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Lee Seo-hyun profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Lee Seo-hyun profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Lee Seo-hyun profile (April 7, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Lee Seo-hyun profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Lee Seo-hyun profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Lee Seo-hyun profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Lee Seo-hyun profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Lee Seo-hyun profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Lee Seo-hyun profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Lee Seo-hyun (accessed October 21, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.