Samsung family - The rich also cry: A mysterious fatal disease clings to generations

Once known as the richest family in Asia and until now, the Lee family that owns Samsung Group is still the leading Korean empire in the market. However, even though they have money and fame in their hands, they still can't get rid of their worries about illness.

The Lee family - the creators of the Samsung empire - is one of the richest tycoon families in Asia. Not only that, it is also thought that members of this family "have it all" - money, status, mental clarity and even looks.

Mr. Lee Byung Chul, the founder of the illustrious "empire" Samsung as at the present time, only started from a small store. At that time, he only had a capital of 25 USD (equivalent to nearly 600 thousand VND if calculated at the current exchange rate). From a small shop with little capital, he built his business to become the leading electronics corporation in Korea, reaching out to the world.

After Mr. Lee Byung Chul died, his third son, Mr. Lee Kun Hee, became the next heir, holding the supreme power in the Lee family. The rest of the family also take on important roles in the group, in areas such as media (CJ Entertainment), retail (Shinsegae) and construction (Hansol).

However, they carry a genetic disease that has no cure for generations to suffer. It is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (Marx muscular dystrophy) that occurs in only 36/100,000 people worldwide. The disease will cause the muscles in the arms and legs, to gradually weaken or gradually lose feeling.

JoooAng Daily newspaper once reported that Mr. Lee Kun Hee - the late Chairman of Samsung Group has had this disease for a long time. However, his illness was not too serious, so he still appeared very healthy in front of the media during his lifetime. This is a genetic disease, so many members of Lee Kun Hee still have it in the next generation. From the "great lady" Lee Boo Jin to the grandson of the late President, Lee Jae Hyun, all suffered from this disease.

Mr. Lee Jae Hyun - Chairman of CJ Group is the person who suffers from the most serious Marx's muscular atrophy. At the investigation sessions in 2013, Mr. Lee Jae Hyun appeared with the image of a wheelchair with a weak body, unable to walk on his own two legs.

Not only had Marx's muscle atrophy, during the period of being investigated for tax evasion, he also suffered from kidney failure. Rich and powerful are like that, but the life of the grandson of the late Chairman of Samsung really encountered many difficulties. He was stuck in labor law for a long time, and Korea News reported that he was released on bail in 2021.

Dubbed the "great princess of Samsung" - Mrs. Lee Boo Jin - president of the high-end Shilla hotel chain also suffered from muscular atrophy of Marx since a very young age.

The Korean public believes that her parents changed her name from Lee Yoo-jin to Lee Boo-jin to pray for good luck and a healthier body. "Boo" is pronounced stronger than "Yoo" and carries the meaning of wealth.

The Korean news site said that the daughter of the late President Lee Kun Hee is receiving regular treatment for the disease, but there are no pictures showing that the disease affects her daily life. Although Marx's muscular dystrophy is more likely to be inherited in men, the extremely elite girl of the Lee family still cannot avoid this "family curse".

Not only sick, Lee Boo Jin also had an unhappy marriage with the person she chose - an IT employee working in her father's corporation. 15 years after marrying Mr. Lim Woo Jae, she filed for divorce. The divorce was quite noisy with allegations from both sides. Lee Boo Jin's lawyer accused Lim Wo Jae of being a butterfly and "moving hands and feet" with his wife. Lim Woo Jae's side said that Mrs. Lee Boo Jin used the power of her own family to prevent him from performing his fatherly duty. In 2017, they went their separate ways, ending the scandal affecting the whole family.

It can be said that the Lee family is a typical example of the saying "the rich also cry", when in addition to a genetic disease that is difficult to treat, members of the family also encountered many ups and downs. And to prevent the disease from becoming more serious, members of the Samsung family remind each other to use air purifiers every day. They even leave the purifier running continuously to ensure maximum purity of the atmosphere.

In addition, the Samsung empire also poured a lot of money for scientists to find a cure for Marx's muscular atrophy. Up to now, the research labs set up by Samsung are still finding ways to change the genetic code to prevent this disease from being passed on to future generations.

According to Public Health England (NHS), Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a group of inherited conditions that damage peripheral nerves. It is also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) or Marxist muscular atrophy (PMA).

Peripheral nerves are found outside the main central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). They control muscles and relay sensory information, such as touch, from the limbs to the brain.

Symptoms of the disease occur first in the legs, then the hands. Nerve cells in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cannot send signals properly due to abnormalities in the axon or the insulation (myelin) around the axon.

Signs of the disease usually begin in adolescence. Most patients are affected by the longest nerve fiber first. Over time, patients may gradually lose the ability to use their hands, feet, legs, or arms normally. They will experience heat sensitivity, pain, weakness in the arms, feet, and legs, difficulty moving, loss of muscle in the legs (muscle atrophy), frequent tripping or falling, high feet and flat feet.

In addition, the extensor reflex may be lost. The disease progresses slowly and can improve. Patients can remain active for many years and lead normal lives. In the most severe cases, the patient has difficulty breathing, and eventually dies.

Muscular atrophy is a disease caused by an inherited error in many of the genes responsible for the development of peripheral nerves. Children can get CMT by inheriting the faulty gene from their mother or father, or both. Currently, more than 100 genes are believed to be responsible for different types of Marxist atrophy. In which, the PMP22 gene accounts for 50% of the causes. In about 40% of cases, scientists do not find the gene that causes the disease.

CMT is not life-threatening, and most people with the disease have a life expectancy similar to that of people without the disease. But it can interfere with daily living activities, affect mental health.

There is currently no cure for muscle atrophy. Patients can use physical therapy, movement therapy, assistive devices, surgery to reduce symptoms, support mobility and improve quality of life.

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