Hong Ra-hee, the wife of the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, has boosted her fortune to more than $7 billion after receiving billions of dollars in stocks in the much-awaited transfer of her husband’s assets.
Hong, 75, inherited about 83 million shares in Samsung Electronics Co., making her the largest individual shareholder in the tech giant with a 2.3% stake, according to a filing last week. Hong is the richest woman in South Korea with a net worth of $7.4 billion as of Monday’s stock-market close, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
It’s another consequence of the massive passing of wealth after Lee’s death, which saw his son Jay Y. cement control over the group after his holdings rose significantly in key affiliates. The late Lee’s only son is worth $12.6 billion, according to the index, while his sisters Boo-jin and Seo-hyun saw their wealth swell to $5 billion and $4.4 billion, respectively.