Who Owns Samsung? Overview and Shareholders

More than 40% of South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) is comprised of a handful of large and prominent multinational companies, which are largely owned by a few extremely influential families known as chaebols. The Lee family is the chaebol behind Samsung Electronics (OTC:SSNL.F), but others are involved.

Who is the owner of Samsung?

Most individuals are likely familiar with Samsung Electronics and may even own a Samsung electronic device, such as a phone or television. Samsung Electronics is a publicly traded company and a favorite tech stock among investors. However, Samsung Electronics is just one piece of the Samsung Group, which functions more like a tightly held business empire than a traditional Western corporation.

The Samsung Group comprises dozens of affiliated companies, including Samsung Electronics (the crown jewel), Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung C&T (construction and trading), Samsung SDS (IT services), and Samsung Biologics. These entities are linked by cross-shareholdings, with control concentrated in the hands of the founding Lee family.

Shareholders of Samsung Electronics

Samsung's shareholding structure is fragmented and complicated, but the control element of the company is not. The Lee family, descendants of its legendary founder, Lee Byung-chul, still maintains power by controlling the individual companies within the complex web of Samsung Group's ownership.

The Lee family has a significant amount of influence in Samsung C&T, which owns part of Samsung Life Insurance, which in turn holds a large stake in Samsung Electronics. These cross-holding structures enable the Lee family to maintain control, even though their direct ownership may be small.

Here is a breakdown of Samsung Electronics' shareholding structure and the top individual and institutional shareholders.

Individual shareholders

Most of the largest individual shareholders are made up of the Lee family's network and its descendants. Below are the top individual shareholders at the time of this writing.

1. Hong Ra-hee

• Shares owned: Exact number of shares unknown, approximately 1.64% of common stock
• Background: Hong Ra-hee is the widow of former Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee and mother to Lee Jae-yong. She has been a pioneer in South Korea's art and cultural sectors, notably as the former director of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. Her involvement in Samsung's philanthropic and cultural initiatives illustrates the Lee family's outsized impact on everything in Korea.

2. Lee Jae-yong

• Shares Owned: 97,414,196 shares, approximately 1.63% of common stock
• Background: Lee Jae-yong, also known as Jay Y. Lee, has been the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics since October 2022. He is the son of the late Lee Kun-hee and the grandson of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul. Educated at Seoul National University and Keio University, Lee has been lauded for his uncanny and almost natural ability to steer Samsung's strategic direction, especially in semiconductors and biotechnology.

3. Lee Boo-jin

• Shares Owned: 52,800,000 shares, approximately 0.89% of common stock
• Background: Lee Boo-jin is the CEO of Hotel Shilla, a luxury hotel chain and duty-free retailer under the Samsung Group. Known for her business acumen, she has been recognized for modernizing Hotel Shilla and expanding the brand globally. As the daughter of Lee Kun-hee, she plays a pivotal role in the conglomerate's hospitality and retail sectors.

4. Lee Seo-hyun

• Shares Owned: 46,800,000 shares, approximately 0.79% of common stock
• Background: Lee Seo-hyun has been the president of Samsung C&T Corporation since April 2024 and has a background in fashion.

5. Hong Namkoong

• Shares Owned: 34,511 shares, approximately .02% of common stock
• Background: Hong Namkoong has a minor stake in the Samsung Group. Details about his specific role or background are limited, but his inclusion indicates the extended network of individuals connected to Samsung's ownership structure.

Institutional shareholders

The institutional shareholders of Samsung are a combination of other companies owned by the Lee family, as well as the Korean government, and name-brand U.S. financial institutions. Below is a breakdown of the top five.

1. Samsung Life Insurance

• Shares Owned: 509,382,098 shares, approximately 8.6% of common stock
• Background: Samsung Life Insurance is a key affiliate of the Samsung Group, offering a range of insurance and financial services. Its substantial shareholding in Samsung Electronics underscores the intertwined nature of the conglomerate's subsidiaries.

2. National Pension Service (NPS) of South Korea

• Shares Owned: 426,513,027 shares, approximately 7.35% of common stock
• Background: The NPS is South Korea's largest public pension fund, managing retirement savings for millions of people. Its investments in major corporations, such as Samsung Electronics, reflect its strategy to ensure stable returns for its beneficiaries.

3. Samsung C&T Corporation

• Shares Owned: 298,818,100 shares, approximately 5.03% of common stock
• Background: Samsung C&T serves as the de facto holding company of the Samsung Group, with interests spanning construction, trading, and fashion. Its ownership stake in Samsung Electronics is central to the group's complex cross-shareholding structure.

4. BlackRock

• Shares Owned: 333,559,914, approximately 4.95% of common stock
• Background: BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) is a global asset management firm headquartered in the U.S., managing trillions of dollars in assets and encompassing everything from crypto to communications stocks and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. Its investment in Samsung Electronics aligns with its strategy to hold diversified stakes in leading global companies.

5. The Vanguard Group

Shares Owned: 219,400,334 shares, approximately 3.03% of common stock

Background: Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment management companies, known for its index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Its stake in Samsung Electronics reflects its commitment to investing in high-performing global brands.

Who is on the board of directors of Samsung?

The board of directors of Samsung Electronics is a similar mix of people with various skills and backgrounds, just like any other intelligently put-together board. The board includes company veterans, government regulators, legal experts, and academics. While the Lee family doesn't dominate the board on paper, their influence still echoes throughout the company.

Here are some key members of the board:

How to invest in Samsung?

Assuming your brokerage offers trading in over-the-counter (OTC) stocks, it's easy to invest in Samsung. Here's a step-by-step guide to buying stocks:

1. Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
2. Search for the stock: Enter the ticker (SSNL.F) or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
3. Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
4. Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
5. Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
6. Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

Related investing topics

You can also look at ETFs to gain exposure to Samsung. Good places to start might be funds that track South Korea or emerging markets. Examples include:

Because Samsung is such a dominant part of Korea's economy, it often appears near the top of any fund with "South Korea" in its name.

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