Samsung, Apple, Tesla favorite stocks for senior officials, lawmakers

The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen on the entrance of the company's headquarters in Seoul in this undated photo. Korea Times file

Samsung Electronics is the top pick on the list of domestic and overseas stocks owned by high-ranking officials and lawmakers, according to data released Tuesday.

The data released by corporate tracker Leaders Index also showed these stockholders highly favored Apple and Tesla among overseas listed companies.

The data was based on an analysis of wealth belonging to 308 bureaucrats who are vice ministers or in equivalent or higher-ranked positions, plus 300 legislators from the incumbent National Assembly.

Leaders Index said 183 bureaucrats and 152 lawmakers held stocks in their names, or the names of their spouses or children.

This group of 335 stockholders made up 55.1 percent of all aforementioned 608 individuals.

“The findings show more than half of high-ranking officials and legislators invest in stocks,” Leaders Index explained.

It highlighted that 236 of the bureaucrats and lawmakers who trade stocks had shares in Samsung Electronics.

They held a total of 175,821 shares, which are valued at 10.49 billion won ($7.61 million) as of the tech giant’s closing price on the benchmark KOSPI, Friday.

“The number of those who invested in Samsung Electronics was far more than investors in other stocks,” Leaders Index said.

It noted that Apple was the second-most popular stock owned by 82 individuals. Tesla was ranked third with 72 stock owners.

The 82 Apple stock owners had a total of 3,430 shares in the U.S. tech company worth a total of 1.06 billion won.

The 72 Tesla stock investors held a combined 3,701 shares in the U.S. electric car manufacturer worth 1.12 billion won.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the ruling People Power Party / Yonhap

Some 65 individuals had shares in Kakao, a Korea-headquartered tech giant.

A total of 40 people owned shares in Naver, 40 in Nvidia, 36 in Hyundai Motor, 33 in Microsoft, 32 in Alphabet and 31 in LG Energy Solution.

Of the 335 stock investors, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the ruling People Power Party was the richest shareholder.

A business mogul-turned-politician, Ahn held a total of 1.86 million shares in AhnLab, an antivirus software developer which he founded in the 1990s, and remains the largest shareholder to date.

His shares in AhnLab were valued at 128.1 billion won.