Leaders Index, Survey of Top 500 Companies
Jo Jeong-ho, Chairman of Meritz Financial Group, Ranks 2nd
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is expected to maintain his position as the top individual dividend recipient this year, receiving 323.7 billion won in dividends, an increase of 19.5 billion won from the previous year.
Meanwhile, to prepare for the massive inheritance tax, some shares of affiliates were sold, resulting in reduced dividends for the three Samsung family daughters: Hong Ra-hee, former director of the Samsung Museum of Art Leeum; Lee Boo-jin, president of Hotel Shilla; and Lee Seo-hyun, chairwoman of the Samsung Welfare Foundation.
On the 12th, Leaders Index, a corporate analysis research institute, surveyed the dividend amounts of 76 companies among the top 500 companies by sales that announced cash and in-kind dividends. The total dividend amount, including quarterly and interim dividends in addition to the recently disclosed year-end dividends, was calculated at 28.4486 trillion won, a 9.3% increase from the previous year's total dividend amount of 24.306 trillion won.
Chairman Lee maintained his position as the top individual dividend recipient, followed by Cho Jung-ho, chairman of Meritz Financial Group, in second place. Chairman Cho's dividends increased by 220.5 billion won from the previous year, totaling 230.7 billion won.
Third place went to Chung Mong-koo, honorary chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, who received 176.2 billion won, an increase of 53.5 billion won from the previous year. Fourth place was Chung Eui-sun, chairman and son of the honorary chairman, who received 154.9 billion won, up 43.6 billion won from the previous year.
The three Samsung family daughters, including former director Hong, sold shares worth a total of 2.7 trillion won in Samsung Electronics and Samsung C&T to prepare funds for inheritance tax, resulting in reduced dividends.
This year, President Lee received 133 billion won, ranking fifth; former director Hong received 124.5 billion won, ranking sixth; and Chairwoman Lee received 73.3 billion won, ranking eighth.
Seventh place was Koo Kwang-mo, chairman of LG Group, who received 77.8 billion won, an increase of 2.5 billion won from the previous year. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won saw his dividends halved, receiving 33.1 billion won, down 31.8 billion won from the previous year, ranking ninth.
In terms of total dividend amounts, Samsung Electronics ranked first by deciding to pay 9.8094 trillion won in dividends, the same as the previous year. The company with the largest increase in dividends compared to the previous year was Hyundai Motor and Kia, which recorded their highest-ever performance. Hyundai Motor increased dividends by 1.1683 trillion won (63.8%), and Kia increased by 815.5 billion won (58.1%).
On the other hand, the company with the largest decrease in dividends was LG Chem, which dropped from 783.1 billion won in 2022 to less than half at 274.3 billion won last year.
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