Korean American Thai Lee and her business partner and ex-spouse Leo Koguan are owners of the multi-billion-dollar IT solutions enterprise, SHI International Corp.
In 1989, the couple purchased Lautek, a software company in New Jersey, for roughly $1 million. Lee rebranded the company and poised a non-traditional and inclusive yet hands-off approach with her sales team, granting them extensive freedom in their sales approach methods. The approach invited their feedback and creativity regarding product expansion.
Lee and Koguan divorced in 2002. They remain business partners, with Lee owning approximately 60 per cent of the company’s shares and Koguan owning the rest. Lee found notable success as a female and minority CEO and is one of the 18 self-made American billionaires.
Lee’s sister, Celeste, also works at the company, while her other sister, Margaret, moved from Korea to the USA in her teens to attend high school and college.
While in university, Thai Lee chose majors with the least amount of public speaking or essay writing, a decision based on her limited English skills at the time. She aimed to develop a business for herself, and after eliminating various models in which her English may pose communication barriers, she decided to pursue technology.
In 2019, Thai Lee was the 5th-richest self-made woman in the United States with a net worth of US$3 billion.