Is Single’s Inferno Lee Sung Hun The Richest Contestant On The Show?

As Single’s Inferno season 5's finale approaches, viewers are busy guessing which couples will be leaving the island hand-in-hand.

One contestant, however, is suddenly getting attention for something unrelated to his love life.

His bank account.

Lee Sung Hun aka Samuel Lee, 27, was previously singled out for alleged infidelity towards an ex-girlfriend, and was also rumoured to be related to an ex-South Korean president.

Jaws dropped during his first Paradise date with Hee Sun when he revealed he works as a quantitative trader. Basically, a trader who uses complex math models, and algorithmic strategies to trade in the stock market, often garnering large paycheques and even fatter bonuses. 

Are we really that surprised, though? Afterall, we see Sung Hun's showing off his flashy sports care in his recently activated Instagram.

And according to career coach and tech YouTuber Chris Schwenk, Sung Hun might actually be the richest guy on the island. "Do you think they have any idea [that] this guy probably earns more than any of them combined?" he quipped.

Chris who admitted he only started watching the show because of his fiancée, went down a rabbit hole analysing Sung Hun’s résumé and potential earnings.

Chris started his deep dive by first scrolling through Sung Hun’s LinkedIn page, rattling on about Sung Hun’s job history.

“But here’s the kicker. He actually didn’t start in finance,” said Chris.

“He did the classic Silicon Valley big tech route first. He was a software engineer at Amazon, and then Google. He even did a stint (internship) at Snowflake,” he added, saying how it is the dream resume for 99 per cent of people in tech.

Before switching careers in February 2023, Chris estimated Sung Hun was already earning between US$200K and US$300K (S$253K and S$380K) annually as a software engineer, excluding bonuses or stock options.

But things got even more interesting when Sung Hun moved into quantitative trading at Jump Trading in New York City, a firm Chris dubbed “the Navy SEALs of finance” due to its notoriously low acceptance rate.

According to Chris, a quant trader at a top firm like Jump could earn a base salary of US$200K to US$250K, with bonuses ranging from 100 to 300 per cent of that amount.

That puts Sung Hun’s estimated total annual compensation at roughly US$500K to US$700K, with seven-figure earnings possible in a strong year.

Chris couldn’t help but compare Sung Hun to his Single’s Inferno contestants.

“While the other guys on the show are hoping this Netflix appearance might get them some low-level protein sponsorship for a couple of grand, or fitness apparel sponsorship, Samuel is casually making US$500 an hour thinking about math all day," he quipped.

On the other hand, he called out contestants analysing personality types, and told his fiancée: "He is the smartest pick for these girls on the island."

“If his math works, he makes money. It doesn’t matter if people like him or not," he added.

Netizens were impressed, with one gushing: “Being a quant trader is such a flex.”

Another wrote: “He is silent on the island, but the REAL beast undercover right there. Wow!”

Photos: Netflix, snghnl/IG