Lee Jae Yong was born in Seoul in 1968 as the grandson of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull and the only son of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee.

After his father's death in 1987, Lee Jae-yong became the chairman of Samsung.

In 1991, he joined Samsung Group, marking the beginning of his career with the company.

In 1998, Lee got married to Lim Se-ryong, daughter of Daesang Group honorary chairman Lim Chang-wook. This marriage lasted for 11 years and they have two children.

In 2009, Lee divorced Lim Se-ryong, daughter of Daesang Group honorary chairman Lim Chang-wook, after being married for 11 years. They have two children together.

In December 2012, Lee Jae-yong was appointed as the vice chairman of Samsung, signifying a significant milestone in his career at the company.

Since 2014, he has been practically leading Samsung following his father's illness, demonstrating his pivotal role in the company's operations.

Lee Jae Yong was involved in a legal controversy related to the 2015 merger, where he denied wrongdoing and described it as 'normal business activity'. The ruling on this case was criticized by activists and civic groups for putting Lee's interests before those of shareholders and pensioners.

On August 25, 2017, Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to five years in prison on bribery conviction.

Lee Jae Yong had previously been convicted in a separate case of bribing a former president while seeking government support for the merger. This case raised questions about his innocence in the subsequent legal controversy.

In February 2018, the Seoul High Court reduced Lee Jae Yong's prison sentence to 2.5 years and suspended it, leading to his release after one year of detention.

Lee Jae-Yong, the South Korean businessman, faced legal troubles in 2020.

On 13 August 2021, Lee Jae Yong was released on parole from the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, with conditions including business restrictions for five years and requiring permission before travelling outside South Korea.

On 26 October 2021, Lee Jae Yong was convicted for illegally using the drug propofol multiple times between 2015 and 2020 from a plastic surgery clinic and was sentenced to paying a fine of 70 million won.

In August 2022, President Yoon Suk-yeol granted a pardon to Lee Jae Yong, citing Samsung's importance to the economy, which opened the door for Lee to take up leadership of the conglomerate.

Lee Jae Yong, the third-generation corporate heir, was officially appointed chairman of Samsung Electronics in October 2022, succeeding his late father. This event marked a significant transition in the leadership of the Samsung group of companies.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was acquitted of financial crimes in relation to a contentious merger between two Samsung affiliates in 2015 that tightened his grip over South Korea’s biggest company. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the prosecution failed to sufficiently prove the unlawfulness of the merger.