Lee Jay-hyun
{{Short description|South Korean businessman (born 1960)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lee Jay-hyun
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=y|1960|03|19}}
| education = Korea University (BA)
| alma_mater = Kyungbock High School
| occupation = Businessman
| known_for = Chairman of CJ Group
| children = 2
| relatives = Lee Byung-chul (grandfather)
Lee Kun-hee (uncle)
Lee Myung-hee (aunt)
Lee Jae-yong (cousin)
Lee Boo-jin (cousin)
| module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto
| hangul = %이재현
| hanja = 李在賢
| child = yes
}}
}}
{{Family name hatnote|Lee|lang=Korean}}
Lee Jay-hyun ({{Korean|hangul=이재현}}; born March 19, 1960) is a South Korean businessman. He is the chairman of the CJ Group.{{Cite web |date=November 15, 2021 |title=Lee Jay-hyun turns CJ into conglomerate |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2022/03/419_318834.html |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=The Korea Times |language=en}}
{{As of|2025|April}}, Forbes estimates his net worth at US$1.1 billion, making him the 23rd richest person in South Korea.{{Cite web |date=Apr 14, 2025 |title=Forbes 2025 Korea's 50 Richest List - Korea's Billionaires Ranked |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/korea-billionaires/ |website=Forbes}}
Biography
Lee was born in 1960 as the eldest grandson of the late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul. His father, Lee Maeng-hee, was the eldest son of Lee Byung-chul who was pushed out of competition in a power struggle with his younger brother and late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.
Lee went to Kyungbock High School and received his bachelor's degree from Korea University.{{Cite web |title=The Investor |url=http://www.theinvestor.co.kr/ |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=www.theinvestor.co.kr |language=en}} He started his career at Citibank in 1983, and joined the family business at CheilJedang in 1985 at the request of his grandfather. He briefly held positions at Samsung Electronics before taking over the helm of CJ Group in the late 1990s after it was spun off from Samsung Group. He is credited for turning the company into the South Korea's 13th-largest conglomerate.
In 2014, Lee was sentenced to jail for four years and a fine of 26 billion won for tax evasion and embezzlement.{{Cite web |last=김 |first=은정 |date=August 12, 2016 |title=CJ to step up global expansion following chairman's release |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20160812006700320 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=Yonhap News Agency |language=en}} He was pardoned by South Korean President Park Geun-hye in 2016.{{Cite news |date=August 12, 2016 |title=South Korea pardons CJ Group chairman, 4,875 others, to mark holiday |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/southkorea-pardon-cj-idUSL3N1AT1JC |access-date=March 8, 2022}}{{Cite web |last=He-suk |first=Choi |date=August 12, 2016 |title=CJ Group chairman Lee Jay-pardoned |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160812000386 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en}}
In 2025, his net worth was estimated by Forbes as US$1.1 billion, making him the country's 23rd richest person.
Personal life
Lee married Kim Heui-jae in 1984 and has one son, Lee Sun-ho, and one daughter, Lee Kyeong-hoo, both of whom graduated from Columbia University.{{Cite web |title=Lee Sun-ho back to work at CJ CheilJedang |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/01/18/business/industry/cj-cj-cheiljedang-bibigo/20210118192300564.html |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=Korea JoongAng Daily |date=January 18, 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2017 |title=CJ heirs promoted amid leadership vacuum |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170306000934 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en}} He endowed the Lee Family Scholarship at Columbia College.{{Cite web |title=Fees, Expenses, and Financial Aid < Columbia College {{!}} Columbia University |url=https://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/fees-expenses-financial-aid/#scholarshipfundstext |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=bulletin.columbia.edu}}