• Chairman of the Board of Zinus
    Lee Youn-jae

    Overcoming Two Failures to Create the 'Amazon Mattress' Legend, Now a Startup Mentor

    Last Updated on Dec 4, 2024

Life Summary

Lee Youn-jae is the founder and chairman of the board of Zinus.

He was born on April 5, 1948, in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do.

He graduated from Daejeon High School and Yonsei University with a degree in Political Science and Diplomacy.

In 1975, he began his career at KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency).

In 1979, he founded Jinwoong Enterprise, which operated under the name Jinwoong and focused on manufacturing and selling camping products, such as tents, until the early 2000s. Jinwoong was delisted in 2005 due to poor performance, but during this period, the company changed its name to Zinus in April 2000.

Starting in the mid-2000s, the company shifted its focus to mattresses, pillows, and furniture, successfully relisting on the KOSPI in October 2019 after 14 years.

On March 22, 2022, Lee sold Zinus to the Hyundai Department Store Group for KRW 774.7 billion (approximately USD 558.6 million) but continues to participate in management as the chairman of the board.

Known for his indomitable entrepreneurial spirit, Lee has overcome numerous crises, including a failed startup, delisting, relisting after 14 years, and a successful exit, earning him a reputation as a true venture entrepreneur.

Since selling the company, he has focused on supporting startups by sharing his 40 years of experience as a manager, including both successes and failures, with young entrepreneurs.

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