South Korean Billionaire Behind AI Chip Giant Ordered to Pay $483 Million in Divorce

The billionaire chairman of South Korea's SK Group, a conglomerate whose microchips are utilized by the leading AI company Nvidia, has been ordered to pay approximately $483 million in a divorce settlement. The ruling by Seoul's Supreme Court represents a significant, though reduced, award compared to a prior court decision.

Chey Tae-won, 65, and Roh Soh-yeong, also 65, who is the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, were married for 35 years. Their marriage, which began in 1988, faced irreparable breakdown when Chey admitted in 2015 to fathering a child with another woman. He subsequently filed for divorce in 2018, initiating a legal battle that has spanned several years.

The court's decision this week determined that Roh was entitled to a cash payout amounting to one-third of the couple's marital assets. This followed a 2024 ruling that had ordered Chey to pay a considerably larger sum of around $700 million, which was then later increased to $1 billion in a separate appellate court decision that same year. The latest ruling offers Chey a financial reprieve from the peak award.

SK Group's value has seen substantial growth since 2015, with its share price tripling. The court recognized that Chey's marriage into the family of the former president, Roh Tae-woo, who governed South Korea from 1988 to 1993, had provided benefits to him and SK Group, the nation's second-largest conglomerate after Samsung. The couple met as students at the University of Chicago and have three children together.

Both parties retain the option to appeal the latest award, indicating the legal proceedings may not be entirely concluded.