Hsu Hang-chien, Lee Pong-shong, Robert Yeh and Samuel Yin are recognized for their dedication to benevolent causes, the Singapore-based magazine said, adding that the aim of the list is not to rank the biggest givers, but to call attention to people and causes.
Last year, Hsu made the largest ever donation to his alma mater Tamkang University in New Taipei City. The school earmarked the money for use in building an international conference center, which will be named after Hsu’s father to honor the family’s tradition of doing good deeds.
Lee, chairman of Fancy Wood Industries, contributed US$12 million to the establishment of four libraries and pledged to add US$2.3 million next year to build a new one in northern Taiwan’s Yilan County. He also continues the charitable work of his father, whose dying wish was to bolster Taiwan’s public library system.
Robert Yeh, chairman of light-emitting diode manufacturer Everlight Electronics, donated US$3.4 million to build a research facility in his alma mater National Taipei University of Technology. The 13-story building will house both LED and environmental studies.
Yin, chairman of Ruentex Group, donated US$14.6 million to Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University last year, as well as US$4 million to the Ministry of Culture for promoting Taiwan overseas.
According to Forbes, Yin is worth an estimated US$4.48 billion and pledged in 2011 to donate 95 percent of his wealth to humanitarian work. This includes US$100 million on establishing the Tang Prize, which awards leaders in biopharmaceutical science, rule of law, Sinology and sustainable development. (YHC-JSM)
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