Chester Koo | |
|---|---|
辜啟允 | |
| Born | 1952 |
| Died | 24 December 2001(2001-12-24) (aged 48–49) |
| Education | Tunghai University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MBA) |
| Father | Koo Chen-fu |
| Relatives | Leslie Koo (brother) |
Chester Koo (Chinese:辜啟允;pinyin:Gū Qǐyǔn;Wade–Giles:Ku Ch'i-yün; 1952–2001) was a Taiwanese business executive. He was a third-generation member of the Koo family, a prominent business family in Taiwan.
Koo was born in 1952 inTaipei.[1] After graduating fromTaipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, he studied economics as an undergraduate atTunghai University and graduated with a bachelor's degree. He then completed graduate studies in the United States, earning aMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from theWharton School of theUniversity of Pennsylvania in 1979.[2][3]
After his graduation and subsequent return to Taiwan, Koo managed a branch ofChinatrust Bank, and at age 35 was appointed president of theChina Life Insurance Company.[4]
Koo later led many otherKoos Group (KGI) subsidiaries and was active in the media industry.[5] He was responsible for KGI's 1997 acquisition ofChinese Television Network (CTN).[6]
Koo eventually sold CTN in January 2000, having never turned a profit.[6] In an attempt to increase the market share ofChina Network Systems [zh] (CNS), a cable company owned by KGI, Koo restructured CNS and sought investors to form a media conglomerate, becoming partners withRupert Murdoch in the process.[7] Though he was credited with helping Koos Group gain a foothold in new industries,[6] many of Koo's investments were also regarded as risky, and multiple ventures lost money.[8] He resigned his position at China Life in December 2001.[9]
As a result, Koo became less involved with Koos Group business ventures, except forHoshin Gigamedia Center Inc. which he had founded in October 1998.[10] Under his leadership, GigaMedia reached an agreement with Microsoft and began working on a set-top box design suitable for broadband Internet via cable services. In November 1999, Microsoft bought a ten percent stake in GigaMedia.[11] The next year, GigaMedia began work with Yahoo Inc. on building a website which offered multimedia entertainment to GigaMedia customers.[12]
Shortly after leaving China Life, Koo died fromgallbladder cancer on 24 December 2001, aged 49.[13] Later, Leslie Koo split Koos Group holdings with cousinJeffrey Koo. Together, the two returned KGI to profitability.[14]
Chester Koo's fatherKoo Chen-fu and younger brotherLeslie Koo were also businessmen. Chester Koo's only son was Koo Kung-yi.[15]
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