TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Forbes has released its latest rich list for Taiwan and sitting on top of the pile is Quanta Computer Chair Barry Lam (林百里) with a fortune of US$11.7 billion (NT$350 billion).
It is the company founder’s first appearance at the top of Taiwan’s wealth leaderboard. Quanta is a prominent computer and server maker, and also manufactures for tech luminaries like Dell, Apple, and Google.
Forbes said Lam’s net worth had doubled. Record profits also saw the company’s co-founder, vice chair and president, C.C. Leung (梁次震) make an appearance on the list for the first time, in 42nd position.
The two are friends, National Taiwan University alumni, and were both born in Hong Kong. Like many on the annually revised rich list, tech is the source of much new wealth, according to Forbes.
It commented that Taiwan’s economy was boosted by AI demand, semiconductors, and a “surge” in exports. It added the benchmark Taiex stock index was up a third over the past 14 months.
Second on the rich list were the Tsai brothers, Daniel (蔡明忠) and Richard (蔡明興) of Fubon Financial Holdings. Their fortune was estimated at US$10.7 billion.
Taking the bronze wealth medal this year was Terry Gou (郭台銘), founder of the world’s biggest contract electronics maker, Foxconn. He was said to be worth US$10.5 billion.
Outside the medal places but surfing the tech wave, according to Forbes, were the Chang bothers Jason (張虔生) and Richard (張洪本) from the semiconductor assembly and testing company ASE Technology Holding. They were in fourth place with US$7.8 billion.
Meanwhile, the man behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Morris Chang (張忠謀) moved up eight spots to 16th, with a fortune of US$3.3 billion.
For the full “Taiwan’s 50 Rich List” find out more here.