Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong is leveraging the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics to foster global relationships through sports diplomacy, underscoring Samsung’s long-standing Olympic sponsorship. He engaged with prominent world leaders and top executives at the event.
Samsung Electronics announced on Sunday that Chair Lee attended the prestigious International Olympic Committee (IOC) gala dinner held for the Games’ opening. He represented Samsung Electronics, a Korean company and a key member of The Olympic Partner Program (TOP), the highest tier of Olympic sponsorship.
The event drew a high-profile guest list, including IOC President Kirsty Coventry, US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok.
Numerous global business leaders were also in attendance, such as TCL Chair Li Dongsheng, Allianz CEO Oliver Bate, Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michel Doukeris, Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, Procter & Gamble CEO Shailesh Jejurikar, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney, Deloitte CEO Joseph Ucuzoglu, and The Coca-Cola Company CEO James Quincey.
An industry source commented, “The IOC gala dinner provides more than just a networking opportunity. It’s a significant platform for behind-the-scenes discussions on crucial global and business issues. Chair Lee’s presence underscores Samsung’s prominent global stature and strengthens Korea’s influence in sports diplomacy.”
Samsung boasts a nearly 30-year history with the Olympic Games, beginning with local sponsorship of the 1988 Seoul Olympics and evolving into an IOC TOP sponsor in 1997. As the only Korean TOP partner, Samsung retains exclusive marketing rights within the wireless communications category, preventing other mobile phone companies from utilizing Olympic branding.
Samsung’s Olympic sponsorship is guaranteed through the LA 2028 Games, following Chair Lee’s meeting with then-IOC President Thomas Bach in 2018 to finalize the partnership renewal.
Chair Lee’s engagement builds on his active participation at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, where Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip6 selfie campaign. The campaign featured athletes capturing celebratory moments, enhancing the global recognition of Galaxy smartphones. Lee also held meetings with leading figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, and LVMH Chair and CEO Bernard Arnault.
Following the legacy of the late Samsung patriarch Lee Kun-hee, who played a vital role in securing PyeongChang as the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Chair Lee Jae-yong continues to strengthen Samsung’s global brand power.
According to US-based Interbrand, Samsung’s brand value has significantly increased from $5.2 billion in 2000, when it ranked 43rd globally, to $90.5 billion in 2025, securing a top-five ranking for six consecutive years.
hyejin2
