LEGEND
Manufacturing the modern world
Name : Terry Gou Job Title : Founder , Director Company : Foxconn
There are few people who have had as great an influence on the world of technology than Terry Gou , the founder and chairman of Hon Hai Precision , one of the world ’ s largest electronics manufacturers . There are a good deal fewer people who have built empires from humble beginnings .
Born in Banqiao Township , Taipei , in 1950 , Gou grew up in a lower middleclass family and , from graduating college to the age of 24 , held a string of blue collar factory jobs . In 1974 , with $ 7,500 ( worth about $ 40,000 today ) and an 11-strong , elderly workforce , he founded Hon Hai Precision , manufacturing a specific channel-changing knob for black and white television sets . Not an especially auspicious beginning to what would become the world ’ s largest electronics manufacturer , but Gou - imbued with a supreme confidence that electronics " would be an integral part of everyday life " - pressed on .
Hon Hai Precision opened its first factory in mainland China in 1988 , which remains the site of the
Terry Gou Age
70
Years as Chairman of Foxconn
45
Net Worth ( 2021 )
$ 6.8 bn company ’ s largest manufacturing plant today . During subsequent decades , Foxconn focused largely on building the bare bones chassis for Compaq desktop computers , an avenue which led to a series of lucrative contracts with IBM , HP and - in the late 90 ’ s - Apple .
The relationship that developed between Foxconn and Apple Inc is one of the most profitable in the history of the electronics industry . With the launch of the first iPhone in 2007 , Apple catalysed the touchscreen smartphone age , and Foxconn - the company selected to manufacture the majority of Apple ’ s products then and since - has been the driving force behind the company ’ s reputation for high build quality .
Gou stepped down as the chairman of Foxconn in 2019 after 45 years at the helm . He maintains a directorship and , in addition to working with his charity , the YongLin Foundation , still makes his presence felt at the wheel of his firm .
18 July 2021