Thai Lee

Thai Lee (#507)

My father was a tremendous influence on all of us. He was a man of the world who believed in the power of education. Each of us has followed in his footsteps to achieve our own version of the American dream.

$ 8 B
IT provider
United States
F
67 Years

About Me

Thai Lee is CEO of $15 billion (gross sales) IT provider SHI International, which has 15,000 customers, including Boeing and AT&T. Born in Bangkok, Lee grew up in South Korea and moved to the U.S. for high school before heading to Amherst for college. Her father, a prominent economist who traveled the world promoting his country's postwar development plan, was the first Korean to graduate from Amherst. Lee, also an alum of Harvard Business School, did stints at Procter & Gamble and American Express. Lee and her now ex-husband Leo KoGuan paid less than $1 million for a software reseller in 1989, the predecessor to SHI. Today she owns 60% while he owns 40%. SHI recently invested $20 million in a newly opened AI & Cyber lab where it tests out AI solutions for customers using NVIDIA's technology.

Achievements

Career Highlights

A snapshot of the defining milestones, leadership decisions, and breakthroughs that shaped Thai Lee’s rise and global influence.

#509 Billionaires (2026)
#192 Forbes 400 (2025)
#12 World's Richest Self-Made Women (2025)
#5 America's Richest Self-Made Women (2025)

Wealth Growth

Net Worth Growth Over Time

Tracking Thai Lee’s net worth journey over the years, highlighting key growth phases and financial milestones.

Current Net Worth: $7.5B (May 4, 2026)