Strong Demand For Chips Helps Drive Double-Digit Growth In Wealth To Record High

This story is part of Forbes’ coverage of Taiwan’s Richest 2025. See the full list here.

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 we last measured fortunes, the rising New Taiwan dollar powered a 13% increase in the combined wealth of Taiwan’s 50 richest to $197 billion from $174 billion last year.

A total of 36 listees are more well-off in this round, resulting in a shuffle in the top ranks. Siblings Daniel & 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, thanks partly 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 & 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.

Siblings Jeffrey Koo Jr. and Angelo Koo, who own stakes in CTBC Financial Holding and KGI 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 with $2.9 billion; brothers Chao Chung-Hsin & Yung-Tsang 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, founder and chairman of Apex Dynamics, which supplies gearboxes for products such as industrial robots.

The net worth of footwear magnate Zhang Congyuan, 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 these are brothers William & 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.

Full Coverage of Taiwan’s Richest 2025:

Editing assistance by Phisanu Phromchanya. Reporting by Shu-Ching Jean Chen, Gloria Haraito, Enyi Hu, Shanshan Kao, Chengbo Liu, Catherine Wang and Yue Wang.

Methodology:

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. The editors reserve the right to amend any information or remove any listees in light of new information.

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks to CBRE Taiwan, Euromonitor International, Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute, TrendForce and the other experts who helped us with our reporting and valuations, including Wei-Jiun Hung, L&C Attorneys-at-Law; Parsley Ong, J.P. Morgan; Hung Ou Yang, Brain Trust International Law Firm; and Sophie Perret, HVS.