Bae Yong-joon
- Net worth $50 million
- Birthday August 29, 1972
- Status -
- Country South Korea
- Source(-s) of wealth Actor, Businessman, Investor
How much is Bae Yong-joon Worth? Bae Yong-joon Net Worth in 2026
Bae Yong-joon’s net worth is estimated at $50 million as of November 2026. The man Japan called Yonsama stopped taking lead roles after 2007, yet his biggest payday came eleven years later, when SM Entertainment agreed to pay him 50 billion won for a stake in the management agency he had built. This one is a rough estimate: the sale is documented, much of the rest is not.
| Net worth | $50 million (our estimate, range $35 million to $70 million) |
|---|---|
| Born | August 29, 1972, Mapo District, Seoul (age 54) |
| Country | South Korea |
| Known for | Winter Sonata, Untold Scandal, April Snow, The Legend, founding KeyEast |
| Main income sources | Sale of his KeyEast stake, SM Entertainment shares, acting fees, restaurants, listed shares |
Only 15 billion won of that price was cash. The other 35 billion won came as SM Entertainment shares, which made the retired actor one of the larger holders of a K-pop label.
How much is Bae Yong-joon worth in 2026?
About $50 million, by our estimate. The KeyEast sale is the one large, documented number. We carry it at its 2018 deal value in won, take off an assumed tax bill, add a small listed stake whose value was reported in November 2026, and assume a sum for everything private. We convert at about 1,338 won to the dollar, the rate on X-Rates on November 11, 2026. His wife, actress Park Soo-jin, is not counted.
How the $50 million adds up
| Source | Our estimate | What it rests on |
|---|---|---|
| KeyEast stake sold to SM in 2018 | $37.4 million | 50 billion won for 25.12% of KeyEast: 15 billion won in cash and 35 billion won in SM shares. We carry the shares at their deal value, because we could not confirm whether he still holds them or at what price. |
| Tax on the sale | minus $7.5 million | Our assumption: about a fifth of the price, 10 billion won. He became the largest shareholder in 2006, so most of the 2018 price was gain. |
| Blitzway Entertainment shares | $1.6 million | 860,375 shares, an 8.63% stake, worth about 2.17 billion won on October 30, 2026. |
| Acting savings, restaurants, property and cash | $18.7 million | Our assumption: 25 billion won. He was reportedly paid 250 million won an episode for The Legend in 2007, and runs the Gorilla in the Kitchen and Gosire restaurants. None of his property values or restaurant profits are public. |
| Total | $50.2 million | Rounded to $50 million. |
Selling the agency, keeping a seat
Bae took 34.6% of KeyEast in 2006 and became its largest shareholder. In March 2018, SM said in a regulatory filing that it would buy 25.12% from him at that price, Korea JoongAng Daily reported, paying 15 billion won in cash and the rest in SM shares. He stayed on as a global strategy adviser to SM.
Our calculation: paying that much for 25.12% values all of KeyEast at about 199 billion won. In May 2015, when Korean entertainment stocks ran hot, his larger stake had been valued at $128 million, his career record shows. He sold for less than that paper peak, but he sold.
The Blitzway slide
The most recent number is not flattering. Bae holds 860,375 shares of Blitzway Entertainment, 8.63% of the company, and sits on its board as a non-executive director. He spent about 392 million won buying more than 420,000 extra shares on March 5 and 6, 2026, and the news sent the stock to its daily upper limit twice, Sports Kyunghyang reported on November 2, 2026.
His stake was worth about 7.33 billion won at the March 13 closing high and about 2.17 billion won on October 30. By our math that is a paper loss of 5.16 billion won, roughly $3.9 million, in seven months. In the context of his whole fortune it is a dent, at about 8% of our total.
Winter Sonata money
Winter Sonata in 2002 was his breakout. He followed it with the films Untold Scandal and April Snow, then The Legend, for which he was reportedly paid 250 million won an episode. Since then his income has come from business: KeyEast, and restaurants including the health food spot Gorilla in the Kitchen and Gosire, whose bento boxes are sold in Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets.
Why other estimates disagree
Some public estimates still lean on the 2015 market value of his KeyEast stake, which was a stock market peak and not money he received. Others count the 2018 sale as cash, though 70% of it was paid in SM stock whose price has moved a lot since.
What would move the figure
SM’s share price, if he still holds what he was paid. Confirmation of those holdings in a filing would firm up the biggest row. Blitzway’s stock moves his smallest one.
Bae Yong-joon net worth FAQ
What is Bae Yong-joon’s net worth?
We estimate $50 million as of November 2026, most of it from the 50 billion won sale of his KeyEast stake to SM Entertainment in 2018.
How much did Bae Yong-joon make from selling KeyEast?
SM agreed to pay 50 billion won for 25.12% of KeyEast in 2018: 15 billion won in cash and 35 billion won in SM shares.
How much was Bae Yong-joon paid per episode?
He was reportedly paid 250 million won an episode for The Legend in 2007, his last major drama.
Does Bae Yong-joon still act?
No. He has not taken a lead role since The Legend in 2007 and now works in business.
What is Bae Yong-joon’s stake in Blitzway?
860,375 shares, or 8.63%, worth about 2.17 billion won on October 30, 2026, down from about 7.33 billion won in March.
Who is Bae Yong-joon married to?
Actress Park Soo-jin. They married on July 27, 2015.
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How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
Last updated: November 2026.
Photo: skinnylawyer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped