Cher Wang, chairwoman of Taiwan’s smartphone maker HTC Corp., is the country’s richest person, according to the latest Forbes magazine survey.
In the Forbes’ 2011 World’s Billionaires list released March 9, Wang dethroned Foxconn Technology Group Founder Terry Gou to become the nation’s wealthiest person.
The magazine said the most powerful woman in Taiwan’s high-tech sector made a fortune designing and producing handsets and gadgets sold under other companies’ brand names. “Now she is getting even richer by marketing them under her own HTC.”
Along with her husband and business partner Chen Wen-chi, Wang was ranked 143rd on the global list, with their combined assets valued at US$6.8 billion.
HTC’s 2010 net profit is estimated at a record high of NT$39.33 billion (US$1.33 billion) on sales of 25 million handsets worldwide, making the firm the most profitable and highest-priced company on the local bourse.
The family of Tsai Wan-tsai, founder of the Fubon Financial Holding group, came in second with US$6.3 billion, while Gou fell to third place with US$5.7 billion after a tough 2010. Despite this, the company still has a strong customer list, including Hewlett Packard Co. and Apple Inc., according to Forbes. (HZW)
Write to Meg Chang at meg.chang@mail.gio.gov.tw