Billions at Stake in South Korean Divorce Drama

The man at the center of what's known in South Korea as the "divorce of the century" just saw his fortune turbocharged by the AI boom—and his ex-wife wants the courts to take notice. The Wall Street Journal reports that Chey Tae-won, 65-year-old chairman of SK Group and the power behind memory-chip giant SK Hynix, is awaiting a pivotal appeals ruling on how much of his roughly $5 billion in assets must go to his ex, Roh Soh-yeong, daughter of former president Roh Tae-woo. The pair have battled in the courts since Roh appealed the original $50 million divorce judgment in 2022.

Since then, SK Hynix's value has rocketed on AI demand, more than doubling Chey's net worth and raising the stakes. Roh argues the settlement should reflect that updated valuation and the couple's long marriage of nearly three decades. Chey counters that she didn't contribute to the recent surge and wants the division based on earlier numbers. The outcome could weaken his grip on SK just as he's celebrating global deals, Nasdaq riches, and photo-ops with Jensen Huang and Sam Altman. A decision is expected Friday. Read the full story.