Chey Tae-won

Chey Tae-won is a South Korean business executive and entrepreneur who chairs SK Group, the country's second-largest conglomerate with 186 subsidiaries spanning energy, telecommunications, semiconductors, and biopharmaceuticals. He has held the chairmanship of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2021, representing a broad cross-section of South Korean businesses. Forbes estimated his net worth at roughly $5.6 billion as of 2026, ranking him among the nation's wealthiest individuals. [edit]

Chey Tae-won was born on December 3, 1960, in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, as the eldest son of Chey Jong-hyon, then-chairman of SK Group (formerly Sunkyong Group). He grew up within a powerful business dynasty, and his path to leadership was shaped by family expectations. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Korea University and later pursued a PhD in economics at the University of Chicago, though he did not complete the doctorate. In 1991, he joined SK Corp. as a manager and held various executive roles, including executive director of SK America and SK Corp., and vice president of SK Corp. His early career was marked by internal grooming for the top role, and in 1997 he became CEO of SK, just before his father's death. [edit]

Chey Tae-won assumed the chairmanship of SK Group in 1998 at age 38, following the death of his father, amid the Asian financial crisis. He successfully restructured and rebranded the conglomerate, expanding it from the fifth-largest business group in South Korea to the second-largest. Under his leadership, SK Hynix became the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, and SK Telecom captured nearly half of the South Korean mobile market. He pursued strategic acquisitions and global investments, earning a reputation as a dealmaker. In 2018, he launched SK's Double Bottom Line initiative, measuring social value alongside financial performance. He became chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2021, the first leader of a top conglomerate to hold that post. As of 2026, he continues to lead SK Group, focusing on semiconductors, AI, and green energy. [edit]

Chey Tae-won is widely regarded as a dynamic and innovative business leader who has modernized SK Group and expanded its global footprint. He is known for his advocacy of ESG management and corporate social responsibility, championing the concept of social value creation. His public persona is that of a strategic dealmaker with a long-term vision. Media coverage has also focused on his personal life, particularly his high-profile divorce proceedings, which have drawn significant public attention. [edit]

Chey Tae-won commands a presence defined entirely by his stewardship of South Korea's industrial might rather than the adoration reserved for entertainers. There is no formal fandom name, no organized fan clubs, and no ritualistic celebrations; his audience consists instead of investors, industry analysts, and citizens tracking the nation's economic pulse. The public narrative surrounding him is one of high-stakes corporate strategy and legal drama, most notably the "Divorce of the Century," which played out in courtrooms rather than on stages. While he lacks the viral moments or cultural myths that define celebrity legends, his influence remains profound across the peninsula. This unique position places him firmly within the global consciousness as a titan of business. According to the iFANN Global Fame Rankings, Chey Tae-won is the 57th most famous person in South Korea, a standing he has maintained steadily from the previous cycle. These placements reflect a deep engagement with the country's primary economic figures, tracking attention through media coverage, search trends, and consumption signals worldwide.[edit]

Chey Tae-won assumed the chairmanship of SK Group at age 38, succeeding his father in a transition reportedly smoothed by a recommendation from Chey Yoon-won, the founder's son. He expanded his intellectual footprint by authoring the management book "Building a Better World" in 2015 and co-authoring a Stanford University case study on SK's ESG approach in 2019. His athletic involvement includes serving as president of the Korea Handball Federation during two separate tenures in 2008 and 2016. Currently, he acts as co-chair of the World Expo 2030 Busan Bid Committee. Beyond these established facts, his public life is marked by the historic legal saga known as the "Divorce of the Century." Following revelations of an extramarital child and a long separation, a South Korean appeals court ordered him to pay approximately $645 million USD to his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong in July 2026. As of August 2026, this figure became the subject of intense scrutiny when he filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing over the asset division terms. Additionally, in mid-August 2026, he drew significant attention for warning of a severe global shortage of AI memory chips while announcing plans for overseas factory expansion.[edit]

Chey Tae-won was married to Roh Soh-yeong, director of the Art Center Nabi, from 1988 until their divorce in 2025. They have four children together. His father, Chey Jong-hyon, was the second-generation chairman of SK Group. His younger brother, Chey Jae-won, also holds executive roles within the conglomerate. Chey's cousin, Chey Yoon-won, is the son of the group's founder and played a role in his succession. [edit]

Chey Tae-won is associated with his father Chey Jong-hyon, his younger brother Chey Jae-won, his cousin Chey Yoon-won, and his ex-wife Roh Soh-yeong. He has worked closely with executives at SK Hynix, SK Telecom, and SK Innovation. [edit]

Chey Tae-won married Roh Soh-yeong in 1988. Roh is the director of Art Center Nabi. The couple had four children together. Their marriage became the subject of public scrutiny during a lengthy divorce proceeding that began in the late 2010s. In 2025, the divorce was finalized after a court ruling on asset division. As of 2026, Chey Tae-won is divorced and reportedly single. [edit]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Chey Tae-won's net worth in 2026 stands at $5.6 Billion. This valuation reflects his controlling stake in SK Group, a conglomerate encompassing major subsidiaries like SK Hynix, SK Telecom, and SK Innovation. Income streams include dividends and executive compensation derived from these vast holdings. The figure has grown substantially over the last decade as the group diversified into semiconductors and green energy sectors. Recent financial developments also stem from the 2025 divorce settlement with Roh Soh-yeong, which involved a substantial division of assets, though the specific private terms remain undisclosed.[edit]

Chey Tae-won has been recognized with several honors, including being named a Global Leaders for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1999. He received an honorary residency from Jiangsu Province in 2020. He has also been listed among Forbes' Global Billionaires. [edit]