Biogen vs Samsung: Founders, CEOs and History
Biogen was founded in 1978 by Kenneth Murray, Phillip Sharp, Walter Gilbert and is led by Christopher A. Viehbacher. Samsung was founded in 1969 by Lee Byung-chul and is led by Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon.
Company facts
Founders
Biogen
Kenneth Murray
Murray co-founded Biogen in 1978. In Edinburgh he and his colleagues used genetic engineering to produce hepatitis B virus antigens in bacteria, work that led to one of the first recombinant vaccines and to diagnostic tests.
Phillip Sharp
Sharp was one of Biogen's 1978 founders and served on the company's board for many years.
Walter Gilbert
Gilbert helped found Biogen in 1978 and left his Harvard post to serve as its chief executive from 1981 to 1984, an unusual move for a Nobel laureate at the time.
Charles Weissmann
Weissmann co-founded Biogen in 1978. In 1980 his Zurich laboratory reported cloning human leukocyte (alpha) interferon and producing it in bacteria, Biogen's first major scientific result.
Heinz Schaller
Schaller co-founded Biogen in 1978 with Gilbert, Sharp, Murray and Weissmann. At Heidelberg he turned to hepatitis B virus research in the late 1970s, sequenced the viral genome with Gilbert and Murray and contributed to the recombinant DNA work behind a widel…
Samsung
Lee Byung-chul
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung Sanghoe in Daegu in 1938, trading dried fish, produce and noodles.
CEOs and their tenures
Biogen
- Walter Gilbert1981–1984
Chief Executive Officer
Nobel laureate Walter Gilbert left Harvard to run Biogen during its start-up years, building research operations in Geneva and Cambridge. The board asked him to step down as losses grew without a marketed product.
Source - James L. Vincent1985–2000
Chief Executive Officer
James Vincent joined from Allied Corporation in 1985, when Biogen had accumulated about $100 million of losses, and restructured it around licensing royalties from interferon and hepatitis B technology.
Source - James C. Mullen2000–2010
Chief Executive Officer
James Mullen became Biogen's CEO in 2000 and led the 2003 merger with IDEC Pharmaceuticals that created Biogen Idec.
Source - George Scangos2010–2016
Chief Executive Officer
George Scangos, previously CEO of Exelixis, ran Biogen Idec from 2010 to 2016. His tenure covered the 2013 launch of Tecfidera, the 2013 purchase of full Tysabri rights from Elan for $3.25 billion, the 2015 return to the Biogen name and the plan to spin off th…
Source - Michel Vounatsos2017–2022
Chief Executive Officer
Michel Vounatsos, a former Merck executive, was CEO from January 2017 to November 2022.
Source - Christopher A. Viehbacher2022–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Christopher Viehbacher became Biogen's CEO on November 14, 2022, after the commercial failure of Aduhelm.
Source
Samsung
- Jong-Hee Han2022–2025
Vice Chairman and CEO
A longtime TV business leader who helped keep Samsung the top global TV brand. He died suddenly in March 2025 while in office.
Source - Jay Y. Lee2022–present
Executive Chairman
Grandson of the founder and son of Lee Kun-hee. He was convicted in the 2017 bribery case and pardoned in 2022, and became Executive Chairman in October 2022. In 2025 the Supreme Court upheld his acquittal in the separate merger and accounting fraud case.
Source - Jun Young-hyun2024–present
Vice Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Head of Device Solutions
He implemented a complete overhaul of the semiconductor division's engineering processes, issuing a rare public apology in 2024 for the company's technological delays.
Source - Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh)2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Head of Device eXperience
As head of the MX (Mobile eXperience) division, he heavily integrated AI features (Galaxy AI) into the S-series flagship phones to combat Apple's dominance in the premium tier.
Source
Timeline: Biogen and Samsung side by side
1938Samsung
Samsung Group begins
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung as a trading company before later generations expanded the group into electronics and industry.
1969Samsung
Samsung Electronics established
Samsung Electronics Industry Co. Ltd. was established as the group entered electronics manufacturing.
1977Samsung
Korea Semiconductor acquired
Samsung acquired Korea Semiconductor, a key step toward memory and component manufacturing leadership.
1978Biogen
Biotechnology Geneva founded
Walter Gilbert, Phillip Sharp, Kenneth Murray, Heinz Schaller and Charles Weissmann founded the company in Geneva, Switzerland as Biotechnology Geneva to turn recombinant DNA research into medicines.
1980Biogen
Alpha interferon cloned
Charles Weissmann's Zurich laboratory cloned human alpha interferon and produced it in bacteria. The technology was licensed to Schering-Plough, which sold it as Intron A.
1983Biogen
Initial public offering
Biogen listed its shares during the first wave of biotechnology IPOs and expanded research in Europe and the United States.
1985Biogen
James Vincent restructures the company
With about $100 million of accumulated losses, Biogen hired James L. Vincent as CEO. He cut costs and relied on royalties from licensed interferon and hepatitis B technology.
1993Samsung
New Management initiative
Lee Kun-hee launched the New Management push to raise quality, design, and global competitiveness.
1996Biogen
Avonex approved for multiple sclerosis
The FDA approved Avonex (interferon beta-1a) for relapsing MS. It was Biogen's first drug sold under its own name and the start of its MS franchise.
2003Biogen
Merger with IDEC Pharmaceuticals
Biogen merged with San Diego's IDEC Pharmaceuticals, maker of Rituxan with Genentech, in a deal valued at about $6.8 billion. The combined company took the name Biogen Idec.
2004Biogen
Tysabri approved, then withdrawn
The FDA approved Tysabri (natalizumab) for MS in November 2004. It was withdrawn in February 2005 after cases of the brain infection PML and returned in 2006 with a risk-management program.
2010Samsung
Galaxy S Launched
Samsung launched the Galaxy S smartphone in June 2010.
2013Biogen
Tecfidera launch and full Tysabri rights
The FDA approved the oral MS drug Tecfidera in March 2013, and Biogen paid Elan $3.25 billion for full rights to Tysabri.
2015Biogen
Name returns to Biogen
Biogen Idec shortened its name to Biogen in March 2015 to reflect its focus on neuroscience.
2016Biogen
Spinraza approved for SMA
The FDA approved Spinraza (nusinersen), developed with Ionis, in December 2016 as the first treatment for spinal muscular atrophy. Its list price was $750,000 for the first year.
2016Samsung
Galaxy Note 7 Recall
Samsung recalled and then discontinued the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 after battery fires.
2017Biogen
Bioverativ spin-off
Biogen spun off its hemophilia business as Bioverativ in February 2017 to concentrate on neuroscience. Sanofi bought Bioverativ in 2018 for $11.6 billion.
2017Samsung
Harman acquisition closes
Samsung completed the Harman acquisition, expanding into connected car systems and premium audio.
2020Biogen
Tecfidera patent loss
A US court invalidated a key Tecfidera patent in a challenge brought by Mylan, opening the US market to generic dimethyl fumarate. Biogen's revenue fell from $13.44 billion in 2020 to $10.98 billion in 2021.
2021Biogen
Aduhelm accelerated approval
On June 7, 2021 the FDA granted accelerated approval to Aduhelm (aducanumab) for Alzheimer's disease despite mixed trial results. At $56,000 a year and with limited insurance coverage, the launch failed.
2022Biogen
Christopher Viehbacher becomes CEO
Former Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher took over from Michel Vounatsos on November 14, 2022. Earlier that year Biogen agreed to pay $900 million to settle a False Claims Act kickback suit.
2022Samsung
Jong-Hee Han becomes CEO
Jong-Hee Han became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2022. A longtime TV business leader who helped keep Samsung the top global TV brand.
2023Biogen
Leqembi approval and Reata acquisition
Leqembi (lecanemab), partnered with Eisai, received full FDA approval in July 2023. In September Biogen completed its $7.3 billion acquisition of Reata, adding Skyclarys, the first approved Friedreich's ataxia drug.
2024Biogen
Aduhelm discontinued, HI-Bio acquired
Biogen discontinued Aduhelm in January 2024 to redirect resources to Leqembi, and in July completed the acquisition of Human Immunology Biosciences for $1.15 billion upfront, adding the kidney disease antibody felzartamab.
2024Samsung
Jun Young-hyun becomes CEO
Jun Young-hyun became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2024. Head of the semiconductor (Device Solutions) division and memory business; sole CEO for part of 2025 after Han Jong-hee's death, then co-CEO with TM Roh from November 2025.
2025Biogen
FY2025 revenue of $9.89 billion
Revenue rose 2.2% to $9.89 billion, with growth products reaching $3.3 billion and free cash flow of $2.1 billion. Biogen also announced a $2 billion investment in its Research Triangle Park manufacturing sites.
2025Samsung
TM Roh joins Young Hyun Jun as co-CEO
Samsung named TM Roh Head of Device eXperience and CEO, joining Young Hyun Jun as co-CEO.
2025Samsung
Annual revenue reaches ~$237B (KRW 333.6T)
Samsung Electronics reported ~$237 billion (KRW 333.6 trillion) in 2025 annual revenue and ~$31 billion (KRW 43.6 trillion) in operating profit.
2025Samsung
Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh) becomes CEO
Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh) became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2025. Longtime head of the mobile business.
2026Biogen
Apellis acquisition and new dosing approvals
The FDA approved a high-dose Spinraza regimen in March. Biogen completed its roughly $5.6 billion purchase of Apellis on May 14, and in July the FDA approved the Leqembi Iqlik autoinjector for starting treatment.
Acquisitions
Biogen
- Apellis Pharmaceuticals2026$5.6B
- Alcyone Therapeutics2025$85M
- Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio)2024$1.1B
- Reata Pharmaceuticals2023$7.3B
- Nightstar Therapeutics2019$800M
- Elan (Tysabri rights)2013$3.3B
Samsung
- FlaktGroup2025$1.7B
- Xealth2025Undisclosed
- Harman International2017$8B
- SmartThings2014$200M
Questions about Biogen vs Samsung
Who is the CEO of Biogen Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Biogen Inc. is led by Christopher A. Viehbacher and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is led by Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Biogen Inc. founded vs Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded in 1969 — 9 years before Biogen Inc., which was founded in 1978. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Biogen Inc..
How many employees does Biogen Inc. have compared to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Biogen Inc. employs approximately 7,500 people, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. employs approximately 259,149. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has the larger workforce at 259,149 employees, compared to Biogen Inc.'s 7,500. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Biogen Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. headquartered?
Biogen Inc. is headquartered in United States and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is headquartered in South Korea. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Biogen Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Biogen Inc. was founded by Kenneth Murray, Phillip Sharp, Walter Gilbert, Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded by Lee Byung-chul.
Which company has a longer operating history — Biogen Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has been operating for approximately 57 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Biogen Inc. has been in operation for around 48 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Biogen vs Samsung overview