Chey Tae-won
{{Short description|South Korean businessperson (born 1960)}}
{{family name hatnote|Chey||lang=Korean}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chey Tae-won
| native_name = {{lang|ko|최태원}}
| native_name_lang = ko
| other_names = Anthony Chey{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/1729604 | title=Anthony Chey, SK Inc: Profile and Biography | website=Bloomberg News }}
| image = Korea Portuguese Business Forum 01 (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = Chey in 2023
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|12|3}}
| birth_place = Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
| title = {{Indented plainlist|
- Chairperson of SK Group
- Chairperson of Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)
}}
| spouse = {{Marriage|Roh Soh-yeong|1988|2024|end=div}}
| occupation = Businessman
| years_active = 1998–present
| education = Korea University (BS)
| children = 4
| father = {{Ill|Chey Jong-hyun|ko|최종현}}
| module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto
| hangul = %최태원
| hanja = 崔泰源
| child = yes }}
}}
Chey Tae-won ({{Korean|hangul=최태원}}; born December 3, 1960) is a South Korean billionaire businessman and the chairman of SK Group, the country's second largest conglomerate,{{Cite web |date=April 28, 2022 |title=SK Group jumps to No. 2 in South Korea's largest corporate groups by assets |url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=112666 |access-date=May 9, 2022 |website=Korea IT Times |language=}} that includes 186 subsidiaries such as SK Telecom, SK Hynix, and SK Innovation. Chey has been the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) since March 2021.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=February 23, 2021 |title=Chey Tae-won named as incoming KCCI chief |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210223000856 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en}}
Chey is among the richest people in South Korea. In December 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$1 billion and ranked him 24th richest in the country.{{Cite web |title=Chey Tae-won |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/chey-tae-won/ |access-date=December 23, 2024 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
Early life
Chey was born on December 3, 1960, in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea as the eldest son of {{Ill|Chey Jong-hyun|ko|최종현}}, chairman of Sunkyung Group (now SK Group). Chey attended Korea University where he received a bachelor's degree in physics, and later studied for a PhD in economics at University of Chicago, US, but did not finish.{{Cite web|title = < SK 최씨 일가의 대 이은 시카고大 사랑 > {{!}} 연합뉴스 : 바른언론 빠른뉴스|url = http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/bulletin/2011/04/01/0200000000AKR20110401170400003.HTML?b1fb9d90|website = www.yonhapnews.co.kr| date=April 3, 2011 |access-date = February 13, 2016}}{{Cite web|title=Authors|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/chey-tae-won-ded7df80-53ab-4c03-8b2f-aa84d20b131d/|access-date=June 18, 2020|website=World Economic Forum|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=The Investor|url=http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/|access-date=June 18, 2020|website=www.theinvestor.co.kr|language=en}} He joined SK Corp. as a manager, served as executive director of SK America, executive director of SK Corp. and vice president of SK Corp. After the death of Chey Jong-hyun, the former chairman, he took the post of SK chairman at the early age of 38 without a management dispute. It is reported that Chey Yoon-won, the son of founder Chey Jong-gun, appointed Chey Tae-won as the group leader, saying, "Tae-won is the best among our brothers."
Career
Chey has been chairman of the SK Group since 1998. Chey has held a number of leadership positions across SK's various operating companies.{{Cite web |title=Tae-won Chey, Chairman and CEO |url=https://eng.sk.com/chairman-chey-tae-won |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=SK |language=en}} He had been chairman of SK Innovation since 2011 and chairman of SK Hynix since 2012.{{Cite web |title=Chey Tae-Won – World Policy Conference |url=https://www.worldpolicyconference.com/chey-tae-won/ |access-date=May 10, 2022 |language=en-US}} He has been chairman of SK Telecom since February 2022.{{Cite web |last= |date=February 21, 2022 |title=SK Group chief Chey to assume chairman post at SK Telecom |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220221002100320 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=Yonhap News Agency |language=en}} SK Group grew into South Korea's second largest corporate group during his tenure.
In January 2012, Chey was indicted of embezzling over $40 million from SK companies to cover up his trading losses. He denies any wrongdoing.{{cite web |date= |title=#8 Chey Tae-Won |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2012/83/korea-billionaires-12_Chey-Tae-Won_OLP9.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230050/http://www.forbes.com/lists/2012/83/korea-billionaires-12_Chey-Tae-Won_OLP9.html |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=December 29, 2015 |website=Forbes}} In January 2013, Chey was found guilty, and was sentenced to 4 years in prison by the Seoul District Court.{{cite web |author= |date=January 31, 2013 |title=SKorea chaebol chief sentenced to 4 years prison - Yahoo Finance |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/skorea-chaebol-chief-sentenced-4-years-prison-082519941--finance.html |access-date=December 29, 2015 |website=Finance.yahoo.com}} He was incarcerated near Seoul until his pardon in August 2015.{{cite web |date=August 14, 2015 |title=SK chairman freed from prison for special pardon |url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/52838/sk-chairman-freed-prison-special-pardon |access-date=December 29, 2015 |publisher=Korea IT Times}}
Chey has received a number of awards. This includes the "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" award from the World Economic Forum (1999); Co-chair, East Asia Economic Summit 2002 in Malaysia, World Economic Forum (2002); Member, Brookings International Advisory Council (IAC) (2010); Working Group Convener, G20 Business Summit (2010); and two-time President of the Korea Handball Federation (2008, 2016).
In May 2022, Chey was appointed by the presidential transition team as the head of the civilian committee to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030.{{Cite web |date=May 6, 2022 |title=KCCI chairman seeks international support for Busan's bid to host World Expo |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2022/05/419_328664.html |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=The Korea Times |language=en}}
Personal life
Chey was married to Roh Soh-yeong, art director and daughter of former South Korea president Roh Tae-woo.{{Cite web |last=Jaewon |first=Kim |date=September 27, 2023 |title=SK Group's divorce drama forces courts to weigh breaking up chaebol |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/SK-Group-s-divorce-drama-forces-courts-to-weigh-breaking-up-chaebol |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB}} They have been separated since September 2011,{{cite web|url=http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_business/538482.html |title=SK Chairman and Roh tae-woo's daughter expected to divorce : Business : News : The Hankyoreh |website=The Hankyoreh |date=June 19, 2012 |access-date=December 29, 2015}} and in December 2015, he announced his intention to divorce.{{cite web|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2015/12/29/0200000000AEN20151229002400320.html |title=SK head Chey to divorce ex-president's daughter: report |website=English.yonhapnews.co.kr |date= |access-date=December 29, 2015}} In December 2022, the Seoul Family Court approved the divorce, and Chey kept most of his shares.{{Cite web |last=유 |first=청모 |date=December 6, 2022 |title=Court approves divorce, property division for SK chief Chey and wife Roh |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20221206006800315 |access-date=December 7, 2022 |website=Yonhap News Agency |language=en}} As part of the divorce, a court ordered Chey to pay $1 billion to his former wife.{{Cite web |last=Kharpal |first=Arjun |date=May 30, 2024 |title=South Korean tech conglomerate SK Inc. surges 16% after chair's $1 billion divorce settlement |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/30/sk-inc-surges-16percent-after-chairs-1-billion-divorce-settlement.html |access-date=May 30, 2024 |website=CNBC |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{SK Group}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chey, Tae-won}}
Category:South Korean billionaires
Category:South Korean fraudsters
Category:Korea University alumni
Category:University of Chicago alumni
Category:People convicted of embezzlement