Leslie Koo
| Leslie Koo Cheng-yun | |
|---|---|
| Born |
28 November 1954 Taiwan |
| Died |
23 January 2017 (aged 62) Taipei, Taiwan |
| Cause of death | Cerebral hemorrhage caused by a fall |
| Other names | Gu Chengyun |
| Alma mater | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Parent(s) | Koo Chen-fu |
| Relatives | Chester Koo (brother) |
Leslie Koo Cheng-yun (Chinese: 辜成允; pinyin: Gū Chéngyǔn; Wade–Giles: Ku Ch'eng-yün; 28 November 1954 – 23 January 2017) was a Taiwanese business executive and billionaire who served as Chairman of Taiwan Cement Corporation. He was the second son of the prominent businessman and diplomat Koo Chen-fu,[1][2] and a member of the Lukang Koo clan, one of the five wealthiest families of Taiwan.[3]
Life and career
Born in Taiwan on 28 November 1954,[4] Leslie Koo attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, graduating with a Master of Business Administration in 1981.[5] After the death of his elder brother Chester in late 2001,[3] Leslie took over the management of Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) in 2003.[6] The company was at the time mired in NT$25 billion of debt because several risky investments made by Chester in the previous ten years had gone bad.[3]
Over the objection of some board members, Koo decided to invest in mainland Chinese cement businesses, which helped the company to turn around and double its revenue in 13 years, making Taiwan Cement the world's 12th largest cement company and the 6th biggest in China.[6] He was credited with saving the business.[2][3]
Koo's net worth was estimated at US$1.2 billion. Despite his wealth, he reportedly flew economy class and ate at night markets.[2]
Bribery scandal
In June 2003, Dayu Development Corporation, the Koo family's property subsidiary, was on the verge of insolvency and threatening the survival of the family business. To raise emergency funds, Leslie Koo needed to sell a parcel of land in Longtan District, Taoyuan owned by Dayu. He paid what he called a "commission" to an associate of the then first lady Wu Shu-chen, and in exchange President Chen Shui-bian arranged for the Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park to rent and then buy the parcel, which was incorporated into the Longtan Science Park.[3]
In 2008, Koo met with prosecutors investigating corruption charges against Chen Shui-bian. Chen was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, including 11 years for taking a NT$400 million bribe from Koo in the Longtan land transaction.[3] In a subsequent interview with the media, Koo said that "I don't have any special feelings about the case."[3]
Death
On 21 January 2017, Koo fell down a flight of stairs while attending a wedding banquet at the Regent Taipei Hotel. He was sent to Mackay Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Cheng Hsin General Hospital,[7] where he died from cerebral haemorrhage on 23 January 2017.[2] Taiwan Cement appointed Koo's brother-in-law Nelson Chang An-ping (張安平) as his successor.[6][8]
References
- ↑ "Powerful Taiwan Billionaire Clan Suffers Loss As Leslie Koo Dies In Taipei". Forbes. 23 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "Taiwanese cement scion Leslie Koo dies in fall". South China Morning Post. 24 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Huang, Ching-Hsuan (16 December 2010). "Preserving the Koo Family Escutcheon". CommonWealth Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2017 – via China Post.
- ↑ "Taiwan Cement chief Koo Cheng-yun dies at 62". Nikkei. 23 January 2017.
- ↑ Sherwin, Edward (13 April 1998). "Family gives $10m. to fund Wharton bldg". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Leslie Koo dies from injuries suffered in fall". Taipei Times. 24 January 2017.
- ↑ Wei, Shu; Low, Y. F. (23 January 2017). "TCC Group Chairman Koo Cheng-yun dies at 62". Central News Agency. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ↑ "Taiwan Cement's Koo hospitalized". Taipei Times. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.