Leo Koguan Explained

Leo KoGuan
Birth Place:Indonesia
Education:Columbia University
New York Law School
Known For:Chairman and co-founder, SHI International
Children:2
S:廖凯原
T:廖凱原
P:Liào Kǎiyuán
Poj:Liāu Khái-guân
J:Liu6 Hoi2-jyun4
Teo:Liou7 Kai2-nguêng5

Leo Koguan (born 1955) is an Indonesian-born Chinese American businessman, investor, and philanthropist.[1] He is the chairman and co-founder of SHI International Corp and was the third-largest individual shareholder in Tesla, Inc.[2] [3]

Biography

Leo was born in Indonesia in 1955 to Chinese parents. He then moved to the United States and graduated from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and New York Law School.[4] [5]

Leo co-founded SHI International Corp., an enterprise software company headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey with his ex-wife Thai Lee.[6] He also invested in luxury hotel development in Shanghai's Xintiandi district through his shares in Shui On Land.

Leo is known in Mainland China for his philanthropic activities to a number of top universities. In 2008, Leo donated $30 million to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which renamed its law school after Leo.[7] He also donated $28 million to Peking University, which named one of its law school buildings after Leo.[8] He endowed scholarships at Peking University and was named an honorary trustee.[9] [10] He was a donor to Tsinghua University, which named the new Tsinghua University Law Library after Leo. He also made a $12.5 million donation to Fudan University, which named its law building after him.[11]

Initially a retail investor, Leo picked up stock trading in 2019 and amassed a fortune through his position in Tesla.[12] He is the company's third largest individual shareholder, behind Elon Musk and Larry Ellison.[13]

Personal life

In 1989, Leo Koguan married Thai Lee, who is now the President and CEO of SHI International.[14] They divorced in 2002. Leo lives in Singapore. In October 2020, he paid for Singapore's largest penthouse, Guoco Tower's Wallich Residence, from British inventor and billionaire entrepreneur Sir James Dyson.[15]

As of May 2024, Leo has a net worth of $6 billion, according to Forbes.[16]

Notes and References

  1. News: Areddy . James T. . 2009-04-30 . Shanghai Eyes Buyout of Stalled Project . en-US . Wall Street Journal . 2022-03-27 . 0099-9660.
  2. Web site: 2021-11-09 . Is Elon Musk fan Leo Koguan really Tesla's third-biggest shareholder? . 2022-03-27 . South China Morning Post . en.
  3. News: Bloomberg Billionaires Index . 2022-03-27 . Bloomberg.com.
  4. Web site: Melin . Anders . October 29, 2021 . Tesla's Hidden Billionaire: How a Retail Trader Made $7 Billion . March 27, 2022 . Bloomberg.
  5. Web site: Leo KoGuan(廖凯原)_Peking University Law School . 2022-03-27 . en.law.pku.edu.cn.
  6. Web site: The Hundred-Year Plan 2016: Winter Amherst College . 2022-03-27 . www.amherst.edu.
  7. Web site: KOGUAN SCHOOL OF LAW,SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY . 2022-03-27 . en.law.sjtu.edu.cn.
  8. Web site: Leo KoGuan Building of PKU Law School Inaugurated . 2022-03-27 . newsen.pku.edu.cn.
  9. Web site: Liao . Sharon . 2019-11-21 . Prof. Leo KoGuan Visits Peking University and Meets with Leo KoGuan Scholarship Recipients . 2022-03-27 . Peking University Education Foundation (USA) . en-US.
  10. Web site: Honorary Trustee Leo KoGuan speaks at PKU . 2022-03-27 . newsen.pku.edu.cn.
  11. Web site: Warm Welcome to the New Students of the Chinese Business Law Program . 2022-03-27 . law.fudan.edu.cn.
  12. Web site: Hyatt . John . Elon Musk's "Fanboy" Bet Nearly Everything On Tesla—And Made Billions . 2022-03-27 . Forbes . en.
  13. Web site: Fox . Matthew . A retail investor amassed a $7 billion stake in Tesla stock after the EV maker nearly wiped him out . 2022-03-27 . Markets Insider . en-US.
  14. News: Ohnsman . Alan . 2024-05-15 . Tesla’s Top Retail Investor Votes Against Restoring Elon Musk’s $50 Billion Pay Package . Forbes.
  15. News: 2020-10-19 . British billionaire Dyson sells Singapore's priciest penthouse . en . Reuters . 2022-03-27.
  16. Web site: Leo Koguan . 6 May 2024. Forbes . en.