When power shifts at the top of the world's biggest companies, most people don't notice. But for Samsung, the family dynasty is so complicated-and the company so crucial to South Korea's economy-that it makes front-page news.
In 2017, heir Lee Jae-yong was jailed for his role in a corruption scandal that brought down a president. He was accused of bribing a confidante of President Park Geun-hye in exchange for support of a merger designed to tighten his grip on the conglomerate.
Samsung is South Korea's biggest "chaebol," a family-run empire built from a grocery store in the 1930s. Lee Jae-yong-the grandson of the founder-denied fraud charges but was found guilty of bribery in 2017. He served prison time before a 2025 acquittal.
Lee became de facto chairman in 2014 after his father suffered a heart attack. But succession wasn't secure. The family faced an inheritance tax bill of over $10 billion. And a 40-year feud erupted when Lee's uncle sued, claiming he'd been overlooked in the prior generation.
Ultimately, in July 2025, the Seoul High Court upheld Lee's acquittal on all charges. Lee then promised: "I will not hand over managerial rights to my children." The question remains: if not the eldest son, then who will lead Samsung next?
