Lee Byung-chul

Lee Byung-chul (Korean: 이병철; 12 February 1910 – 19 November 1987) was a South Korean businessman. He was the founder of the Samsung Group, South Korea's largest chaebol, and considered one of South Korea's most successful businessmen. Early life Lee Byung-chul was born on 12 February 1911 in Uiryeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, Korean Empire. He was born the youngest son of four siblings to father Lee Chan-woo and mother Kwon Jae-lim. He was the son of a wealthy land-owning yangban family (a branch of the Gyeongju Lee clan). He attended highschool at Joongdong High School in Seoul, and then college at Waseda University in Tokyo but did not complete his degree. Career Beginning Byung-chul established a trucking business in Busan on 1 March 1938, which he named Samsung Trading Co, the forerunner to Samsung. Samsung means "Three Stars" which explains the initial corporate logos.