Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong to Purchase $1.4bn in Shares from Mother
September 9, 2026 – 10:28 am
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Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong is set to acquire just over 7.1 million shares from his mother, Hong Ra-hee, in a private transaction valued at 1.94tn won (approximately $1.4bn). The deal, scheduled for October 12th, was revealed by Reuters following a filing with South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service on Wednesday.
The transaction involves the purchase of 7,188,793 common shares, representing a 0.11% stake in the company. This raises Lee’s holding to 1.58% (across both common and preferred stock), while Hong’s common shareholding drops slightly from around 1.25% to 1.13%.
The price per share is set at 269,500 won, and the sale will be conducted privately rather than as a block trade, suggesting an effort to avoid market volatility.
Following this acquisition, Lee will personally own roughly 1.5% of Samsung. While control within the company has never been through direct ownership of the electronics business, this transaction highlights the intricate web of cross-shareholdings that underpin Samsung’s governance structure.
Hong is selling her shares to repay loans taken out to cover inheritance tax following the death of Lee Kun-hee in 2020. The estate left by Lee Kun-hee amounted to approximately 12tn won ($8bn), the largest in South Korean history, which was paid off in instalments over five years.
The Samsung heirs have been selling and pledging shares for years to meet this tax liability, a process that has now reached its conclusion. Lee is financing his purchase through dividends from group affiliates and unsecured borrowing, ensuring his position remains intact while further consolidating control.
Earlier this year, Lee received his mother’s entire Samsung C&T holding as a gift, with Samsung C&T playing a central role in maintaining the family’s grip on the company.
The structure of this sale avoids potential market disruption. A block trade of $1.4bn worth of Samsung stock would have required finding buyers and could have caused significant price movement. By selling directly to a family member at a fixed price, shares avoid market exposure, preserving the free float and providing no new information to minority shareholders.
This transaction comes amid a period of strong performance for Samsung shares, driven by high memory demand. The Lee family’s wealth has doubled to $45.5bn in the chip boom, while Samsung workers have demanded a share of profits and threatened strikes. As the company announced its partnership with OpenAI for next-generation chips and accelerated fab construction, South Korea revised its 2040 electricity forecast upward accordingly.