Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong is richest Korean on Forbes billionaires list. No. 2 may surprise you

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is the sole Korean on Forbes' world's 100 richest people list this year, with an estimated net worth of $27 billion, according to the US magazine.

But the country’s second-richest person may be unfamiliar to many Koreans.

Chung Yong-ji, chief executive of biotech firm Caregen, ranked 268th on the global list with a net worth of $11.7 billion.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong (left) and Caregen CEO Chung Yong-ji (Samsung, Caragen)

Chung founded Caregen, a South Korean biotechnology company known for peptide-based products, including antiwrinkle treatments and diabetes drugs.

His 63 percent stake in the company alone is valued at over 4.4 trillion won ($3.4 billion), based on Tuesday’s closing price of 131,400 won per share. The Kosdaq-listed stock has climbed more than 400 percent over the past year.

Other South Korean business leaders also appeared on the global rich list.

Biopharmaceutical entrepreneur Seo Jung-jin, founder of Celltrion, ranked 346th with $9.9 billion.

Also on the list were Lee Boo-jin, CEO of Hotel Shilla, who ranked 353rd with $9.8 billion, and Chung Mong-koo, honorary chairman of Hyundai Motor Company, who placed 359th with $9.7 billion.

According to Forbes, Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla, topped the global ranking with a net worth of $839 billion.

The United States had the largest number of billionaires on the list with 989, including 15 of the top 20. China, including Hong Kong, followed with 610, while India ranked third with 229.