Samsung was founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-chul in Daegu, Korea (then unified Korea), initially as a trading company dealing with groceries and noodles. The company evolved into Samsung Group, with Samsung Electronics (founded in 1969) becoming its most prominent subsidiary.
Key developments:
- Started as Samsung Trading Company
- Entered electronics industry in 1969
- Became global technology leader in 1990s-2000s
Ownership/Control:
- Controlled by the Lee family through a complex ownership structure
- Currently led by Jay Y. Lee (Lee Jae-yong), grandson of founder
- Publicly traded on Korean Exchange and London Stock Exchange (LSE)
- Major institutional investors include:
- National Pension Service of Korea
- Samsung Life Insurance
- Various global investment firms
Notable is Samsung’s chaebol structure (Korean business conglomerate model), with intricate cross-shareholdings among various Samsung companies, though recent years have seen some restructuring efforts to simplify this structure.