LeaderPortfolio
Joon-ho
Lee Joon-ho
Rank #3361
SOUTH KOREATechnologyOnline games

Lee Joon-ho

Net Worth
$0.965B
-8.54% (24h)
Lee Joon-ho, born in 1964, is a prominent South Korean business executive and investor, with a current net worth of $1.1 billion. He gained prominence as a co-founder of Naver, South Korea's leading internet portal, and later as the chairman of NHN, Naver's online games business. Lee's wealth stems from his ventures in online games. His career includes developing search technology for the Empas web portal while an associate professor and founding Search Solution. He holds degrees from Seoul National University and KAIST. As of March 10, 2026, Lee Joon-ho holds the rank of #3185 on the Forbes Billionaires list.

How to read Lee Joon-ho's profile

Public net-worth figures are estimates. They combine observable inputs—typically listed equity, disclosed transactions, and market prices—with editorial judgment where filings are incomplete (for example, private holdings, debt, or cross-holdings). For Lee Joon-ho, we anchor the narrative to Online games and Online games, then update the headline number as markets move. The chart on this page is meant to show trajectory, not a certified balance sheet.

When you see $0.965B alongside global rank #3361, interpret it as our best synthesis of widely cited ownership and price signals—not a claim about cash on hand. Estimates can diverge from other publishers because of different treatment of options, trusts, charitable vehicles, or illiquid assets. We document the general approach in methodology and welcome corrections via corrections.

Country (SOUTH KOREA) and career milestones on this page are curated for reader context; they should be verified against primary sources when used for research. Editorial metadata for this profile is refreshed on a rolling basis, with deeper audits at least annually (last noted cycle: 2026).

Looking for depth? When available, the dossier and timeline sections below add long-form context beyond the headline number—prioritize those modules when evaluating claims about strategy, controversies, or philanthropic commitments.

The Full Dossier

Early Life and Education

Lee Joon-ho was born in 1964 in South Korea. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in computer science and engineering from Seoul National University. He furthered his education by receiving a Master of Science and a PhD from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Rise to Success

Lee Joon-ho is credited as a co-founder of Naver, South Korea's largest internet portal. He developed search technology for Empas, a web portal while working as an associate professor at Soongsil University. He later founded Search Solution, which merged with Naver.

He served various c-suite positions overseeing the overall management of NHN, the parent company of Naver. Lee left Naver in 2013, when NHN split into NHN Entertainment Corporation and Naver Corporation. In 2014, he acquired a 9.53% stake in NHN Entertainment, which rebranded to NHN in 2019.

Key Business Strategies

Lee is currently the chairman of NHN, which was Naver's online-games business until the two split in 2013. Lee sold $225 million worth of Naver shares in 2014 and another $115 million worth in 2016. NHN's businesses now span from online gaming and digital payments to e-commerce and cloud services.

Philanthropy

Specifics on Lee Joon-ho's philanthropic activities are not readily available in the search results.

Career Timeline

2014

Acquired Stake in NHN Entertainment

He acquired a 9.53% stake in NHN Entertainment, which rebranded to NHN in 2019.

2013

Left Naver

Lee left Naver when NHN split into NHN Entertainment Corporation and Naver Corporation.

2000

Founded Search Solution

Founded the independent company Search Solution with funding from Naver, which it eventually merged with in 2000.

1999

Developed search technology for Empas

While an associate professor at Soongsil University, he developed search technology for Empas, a web portal.

Key Business Ventures & Holdings

CompanyStakeValue
NHN

Net Worth History

In-Depth Analysis

Early Life and Education

Lee Joon-ho was born in 1964 in South Korea. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in computer science and engineering from Seoul National University. He furthered his education by receiving a Master of Science and a PhD from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Rise to Success

Lee Joon-ho is credited as a co-founder of Naver, South Korea's largest internet portal. He developed search technology for Empas, a web portal while working as an associate professor at Soongsil University. He later founded Search Solution, which merged with Naver.

He served various c-suite positions overseeing the overall management of NHN, the parent company of Naver. Lee left Naver in 2013, when NHN split into NHN Entertainment Corporation and Naver Corporation. In 2014, he acquired a 9.53% stake in NHN Entertainment, which rebranded to NHN in 2019.

Key Business Strategies

Lee is currently the chairman of NHN, which was Naver's online-games business until the two split in 2013. Lee sold $225 million worth of Naver shares in 2014 and another $115 million worth in 2016. NHN's businesses now span from online gaming and digital payments to e-commerce and cloud services.

Philanthropy

Specifics on Lee Joon-ho's philanthropic activities are not readily available in the search results.

Data Sources & Methodology

Figures for Lee Joon-ho are synthesized from the sources below and cross-checked against our net worth methodology. Estimates may lag market moves; see corrections to report discrepancies.