The income of the Samsung family in South Korea has doubled.

The wealth of the Samsung family, one of South Korea's largest corporate groups, has doubled to $45 billion within a year. Although it was previously speculated that the family's control might slip, they have made a very strong financial comeback and managed to capture global attention.

Following the death of Samsung Electronics founder Lee Kun-hee in 2020, the family faced a multi-billion dollar tax crisis. The family's succession power was also jeopardized when Samsung's head, J.Y. Lee, was convicted and imprisoned for bribing former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. However, five years later, a remarkable growth in semiconductor values allowed them to re-establish their power. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, their combined wealth rose from $20.1 billion to $45.5 billion by March. Accordingly, the heirs are preparing to pay the final installment of the 12 trillion won ($8.1 billion) inheritance tax, paid over a five-year period, this month.

J.Y. Lee garnered public attention over the past year by participating in trips to countries such as India, Vietnam, China, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, and even appeared in a selfie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in India. Additionally, photos of him eating beer and chicken with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang last October became a hot topic online.

However, this financial recovery also highlights a problematic situation in the South Korean market. President Lee promised during his election campaign to minimize the 'Korea Discount' and improve corporate governance. But according to a report released by Morgan Stanley analysts in March, Samsung is still lagging behind other regional business groups in presenting new plans for investors.

Samsung Electronics represents about a quarter of the Kospi index, and it rose by 126 percent last year, marking its best annual performance in two decades. Investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure is driving massive growth in the semiconductor sector, and demand for AI memory is expected to further increase in 2026. Samsung-affiliated companies represented 19.3 percent of South Korea's GDP in 2025, an increase from 15.1 percent a decade ago. Samsung plans to invest 110 trillion won in facilities and research and development this year.

In 2022, J.Y. Lee received a presidential pardon, which allowed him to formally take over the leadership of this corporate group, founded by his grandfather in 1938. Additionally, in 2018, the company decided to separate the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO, and in 2020, an independent director was appointed as Chairman for the first time. The company is committed to providing high returns for its shareholders and, last year, in addition to regular dividends, provided a special payment of 1.3 trillion won. Furthermore, shares worth over 14 trillion won were canceled in April.

Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun, heirs of the Lee family, as well as their mother Hong Ra-hee, have sold shares to pay taxes, while J.Y. Lee has taken out loans against shares and other assets. In many family-controlled companies in Asia, controllers prefer to retain voting power over short-term financial control. Long-term concerns are emerging about whether the next generation will be able to maintain control of Samsung under South Korea's strict inheritance tax system.