Cher Wang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cher Wang
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| 王雪紅 | |
Wang at the World Economic Forum on 23 January 2008
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| Born | 14 September 1958 Taipei, Taiwan
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| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Employer | HTC, VIA Technologies |
| Known for | Contributions to HTC and VIA; creating a fairly early model of smart phones in 1997 |
| Spouse(s) | Chen Wen-Chi |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Wang Yung-ching Jiao Yang |
| Relatives | Cherlin Wang |
Cher Wang (Chinese: 王雪紅; pinyin: Wáng Xuěhóng; born 15 September 1958) is a famous entrepreneur from Taiwan. She is known for co-founding two big technology companies: HTC Corporation and VIA Technologies. HTC makes smartphones, and VIA makes computer chips. Cher Wang is considered one of the most successful women in the world of computer technology. Her father, Wang Yung-ching, founded a large plastics company called Formosa Plastics Group. In 2014, Forbes magazine listed her as the 54th most powerful woman globally.
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Early Life and Education
Cher Wang was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on September 15, 1958. She went to high school in Oakland, California, at The College Preparatory School. Later, she studied economics at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1981.
Cher Wang's Career in Tech
After college, Cher Wang started her career at First International Computer (FIC) in 1982. She then co-founded VIA Technologies in 1987. Ten years later, in 1997, she also co-founded HTC Corporation. Both VIA and HTC are well-known for their products, especially smartphones.
In 2011, Forbes magazine named Cher Wang and her husband, Wen Chi Chen, the wealthiest people in Taiwan. They had a net worth of about US$8.8 billion. By 2014, Forbes ranked her as the 54th most powerful woman in the world.
In March 2015, Cher Wang became the CEO of HTC. This meant she took charge of the company's daily operations. In September 2017, HTC and Google announced a big partnership. Google paid US$1.1 billion for some HTC employees to join their team. Google also got a special agreement to use some of HTC's technology.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Cher Wang uses her wealth to help others through her charity foundations. These foundations hold investments worth over US$200 million.
In 2011, she gave US$28.1 million to help start Guizhou Forerunner College in China. This college is run by VIA Technologies' non-profit Faith-Hope-Love Foundation. It offers three years of free or low-cost education to students from families with low incomes. Cher Wang hopes to open more colleges like this if it is successful.
She has also given a lot of money to the University of California, Berkeley. Some of her donations help fund a special award called the Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize. This award honors scientists who make important discoveries in condensed-matter physics.
Cher Wang and her husband also support a program between UC Berkeley and Tsinghua University in Beijing. This program helps professors and students from both universities work together on psychology research. In 2012, Cher Wang donated 6,000 HTC Flyer tablet computers to 60 high schools in Taipei, Taiwan.
Personal Life
Cher Wang is a Christian. Her husband, Wen Chi Chen, is the CEO of VIA Technologies. They have two children together. Cher Wang prefers to keep her personal life private and stay out of the public eye.
