Daniel and Richard Tsai reclaim top spot
SINGAPORE (June 5, 2025) – The combined wealth of tycoons on the 2025 Forbes list of Taiwan’s 50 Richest rose to US$197 billion from $174 billion last year, as robust demand for chips and the rising New Taiwan dollar helped drive wealth to a new peak. The complete list can be found here, and in the June issue of Forbes Asia.
Taiwan’s thriving semiconductor industry continues to boost its economy, which grew at an annual rate of 4.6% in 2024, the highest in three years. Despite the jolt from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, which left the benchmark Taiex index up only slightly since fortunes were last measured, the rising New Taiwan dollar powered a 13% increase in the combined wealth of Taiwan’s 50 richest. A total of 36 listees are more well-off on this year’s list, resulting in a shuffle in the top ranks.
Siblings Daniel and Richard Tsai were the biggest dollar gainers with a $3.2 billion boost, which took their wealth to $13.9 billion and earned them the No. 1 spot after a year’s gap. Shares of their Fubon Financial Holding jumped 16% from last year, partly due to its expanding banking operations.
Quanta Computer chairman Barry Lam, who was last year’s richest, slipped to second place despite an 8% uptick in his net worth to $12.6 billion. In February, the maker of laptops and AI servers teamed up with American quantum processing firm Rigetti Computing to develop superconducting quantum computing technology.
Brothers Tsai Hong-tu and Cheng-ta of Cathay Financial Holdings, cousins of Daniel and Richard, climbed two places to No. 3, with $10.9 billion. In November, a wind power unit of their group’s insurance arm agreed to invest $1.65 billion for a 50% stake in an offshore wind farm in Taiwan, to be constructed and run by Danish energy company Ørsted.
Terry Gou of Hon Hai Precision Industry takes the fourth spot on the list with $10.5 billion, up slightly from $10.4 billion last year. Rounding out the top five are siblings Wei Ing-Chou, Ying-Chiao, Yin-Chun & Yin-Heng of Ting Hsin International Group, whose net worth rose to $9 billion from $7.6 billion previously.
Siblings Jeffrey Koo Jr. (No. 13) and Angelo Koo (No. 20), who own stakes in CTBC Financial Holding and China Development Financial Holding, respectively, are the biggest gainers in percentage terms. Their separately listed fortunes more than doubled to $4.7 billion and $3.3 billion, thanks partly to new information about their holdings.
There are three newcomers this year, including two minted from the red-hot sector of AI servers: Lin Tsung-Chi, founder and chairman of King Slide, a maker of rails for servers, enters the ranks at No. 24 with $2.9 billion; brothers Chao Chung-Hsin and Yung-Tsang (No. 32, $2.1 billion) join the list as their Jentech Precision Industrial, a supplier of semiconductor cooling components, reaped the benefits of the frenzied AI data center buildout. The third new entrant is Chang Chung-Hsing (No. 47, $1.51 billion), founder and chairman of Apex Dynamics, which supplies gearboxes for products such as industrial robots.
The net worth of footwear magnate Zhang Congyuan (No. 6), who was Taiwan’s richest person three years ago, shrank by $1.8 billion to $8.3 billion, registering the biggest decline in dollar terms. Shares of his Guangdong-based Huali Industrial Group fell by more than a fifth amid U.S. tariff threats.
Four listees from last year dropped off. Notable among them are brothers William and Wilfred Wang, whose fortune drawn from Formosa Plastics Group was impacted by global headwinds in the chemicals sector. The minimum net worth to make the list rose to $1.3 billion from $1.1 billion last year.
The top 10 richest in Taiwan are:
- Daniel & Richard Tsai; US$13.9 billion
- Barry Lam; $12.6 billion
- Tsai Hong-tu & Cheng-ta; $10.9 billion
- Terry Gou; $10.5 billion
- Wei Ing-Chou, Ying-Chiao, Yin-Chun & Yin-Heng; $9 billion
- Zhang Congyuan; $8.3 billion
- Jason & Richard Chang; $7.9 billion
- Tsai Eng-meng; $6.9 billion
- Pierre Chen; $6.1 billion
- Samuel Yin; $5.6 billion
The list was compiled using information from individuals, analysts, government agencies, stock exchanges, databases and other sources. Net worths were based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the close of markets on May 9 and real-time net worths on Forbes.com may reflect different valuations. The ranking lists both individual and family fortunes, including those shared among relatives. Private companies were valued by using financial ratios and other comparisons with similar companies that are publicly traded. The list can also include foreign citizens with business, residential or other ties to Taiwan, or citizens who don’t reside in Taiwan but have significant business or other ties.
For more information, visit www.forbes.com/taiwan
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