Bedridden Samsung chief's stock value jumps $3.5B in 2019

SEOUL, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Bedridden Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee saw his wealth rise more than $3 billion with his stock assets alone last year, a Seoul consultancy reported Tuesday.

CEO Score, corporate tracker, said the value of Lee's stock assets jumped $3.49 billion last year from $11.74 billion to $15.23 billion, mainly due to his holdings in Samsung Electronics.

Lee has a 4.18 percent stake in Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of memory chips and smartphones whose stock price rocketed more than 40 percent throughout 2019.

In addition, South Korea's richest man holds 20.76 percent in Samsung Life Insurance and 2.86 percent in Samsung C&T. He is the only Korean whose share value tops $10 billion.

The son of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul, Lee Kun-hee collapsed from a heart attack in 2014. The 77-year-old tycoon has not regained consciousness.

Ranked second on CEO Score's list of the stock-richest in South Korea is Lee Kun-hee's son and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, whose stock value rose $678 million to reach $6.35 billion by the end of 2019.

The heir apparent of Samsung Group, who practically controls the country's largest conglomerate, also owns a stake in Samsung Electronics and Samsung C&T.

Lee Kun-hee's wife, Hong Ra-hee, was in sixth place with a stake in Samsung Electronics valued at $2.61 billion.

His two daughters -- Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin and Samsung Welfare Foundation chief Lee Seo-hyun -- shared 12th place with their shares in Samsung C&T worth $1.49 billion.

AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae assumed the third place with shares worth $4.37 billion, followed by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo with $3.43 billion and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won with $2.94 billion.