Tsai Wan-lin

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tsai.

Tsai Wan-lin (simplified Chinese: 蔡万霖; traditional Chinese: 蔡萬霖; pinyin: Caì Wànlín) (November 10, 1924 – September 27, 2004) was a Taiwanese businessman who, at the peak of his wealth in 1996, was considered to be the fifth richest person in the world,[1] with a family net worth of US$12.2 billion.[2] At the time of his death in 2004, he was the richest man in Taiwan with a fortune of US$4.6 billion (NT$156.3 billion), ranked 94th worldwide.[3] He founded the Lin Yuan Group, a large banking and insurance group.[4]

He was born into a poor farmer's family in Chikunan Town, Chikunan District, Shinchiku Prefecture, Japanese-era Taiwan (modern-day Zhunan, Miaoli). Tsai started out in Taipei by selling vegetables and soybeans with his brothers as a child.[5]

With one of his brothers Tsai joined Taipei's Tenth Credit Cooperative in 1960.[6] Two years later, they founded the Cathay Life Insurance Company, which at the time of his death was the largest life insurance company in Taiwan.[5]

The family split Cathay Life Insurance in 1979. Tsai Wan-lin founded the Lin Yuan Group with his share.[7] Over the next 10 years, the Lin Yuan Group expanded to become the largest Taiwanese conglomerate. Cathay Financial Holdings, a division of the Lin Yuan Group, became Taiwan's largest financial holding company.[8] Cathay Insurance was renamed Fubon Insurance in 1992.[9]

Tsai was first listed by Forbes as a billionaire in 1987.[10] He was appointed a senior adviser to the president of the Republic of China in 2000.[11]

He died of heart disease at the age of 81 in Taipei's Cathay General Hospital, which he founded in 1977. He had been hospitalized for six years.[6] Tsai was married to Chou Pao-chin and had seven children.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The billionaires' list". The Free Lance-Star (Google News). July 1, 1996. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Bill Gates still richest, but Asian tycoons getting closer". Observer-Reporter (Google News). 1 July 1996. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "PASSINGS Tsai Wan-lin, 80; Tycoon Was the Wealthiest Man in Taiwan". Los Angeles Times. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Who will replace Tsai Wan-lin as Taiwan's wealthiest person?". China Economic News Service. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 Lin, Jackie; Chen, Kevin (29 September 2004). "Tsai led family to dominate nation's finance business". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Tsai family may face huge heritage tax burden". China Post. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Tsai Wan-lin, the Richest Man in Taiwan, Dies". New York Times. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Tsai Wan-lin". Chicago Tribune. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Flannery, Russell (28 May 2001). "Citigroup's Secret Weapons". Forbes. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Flannery, Russell (3 July 2009). "Oh, Brother". Forbes. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Nation's richest man dies at 79 after long illness". Taipei Times. 29 September 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Tsai Wan-lin". The Daily Telegraph. 14 October 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2014.

External links

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