Thai Lee

Thai Lee (born 1958) is a Thai-born Korean-American billionaire businesswoman, the co-owner, CEO and president of SHI International, reported by Forbes to be the largest woman-owned business in the US in 2012.^[1] In May 2025, she was worth US$5.8 billion.^[2] She also serves as member of the board of directors of The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.^[3]

Thai Lee
Born	1958 (age 66–67) Bangkok, Thailand
Alma mater	Amherst College (BA) Harvard Business School (MBA)
Known for	CEO and co-founder, SHI International
Term	1989–present
Spouse	Leo Koguan (m. 1989–2002)
Children	2
Parent	Daniel Kie-Hong Lee
Relatives	Margaret Lee (older sister)

Early years

Thai Lee was born in 1958 in Bangkok, Thailand, but spent most of her childhood in South Korea.^[4][5] Her family moved frequently due to her father's job as a Korean economist promoting South Korea's postwar development plan.^[5] Lee moved to the United States in her teens and attended high school in Amherst.^[5][3] She attended Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts for college earning a double major BA in biology and economics in 1980.^[4] By graduating from Amherst Lee followed in the footsteps of her father who was the first Korean student to graduate from Amherst College in 1950.^[6] Lee went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1985.^[4] She was the first Korean woman to graduate from the business school.^[1][7] Lee then served as the first female president of the Amherst College Alumni Society from 2004 to 2005.^[4][3]

Awards and honors

• Life Trustee, Amherst College
• Former President, Amherst College Alumni Society^[3]
• Harvard University, Dean's Advisory Board
• Distinguished Alumni Award, Harvard Business School
• Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012
• Trustee Emeriti, Amherst College^[8]
• Harvard Business School, 2013 Alumni Achievement Award Recipient^[4]

Family

In 1989, Thai Lee married Leo Koguan, a Columbia University graduate, New York Law School-educated lawyer and the co-founder and chairman of SHI^[9]. They divorced in 2002^[9]. She has two teenage children^[9]. She lives in Austin, Texas.^[8]