31 Facts About Terry Gou

Terry Gou is a Taiwanese billionaire businessman and politician.

In 2019, Terry Gou resigned from Foxconn and joined the Kuomintang to run for president, declaring he was instructed by the sea goddess Mazu in a dream to contest the election.

Terry Gou ultimately lost the election, coming in second in the Kuomintang primary.

Once described as an "old friend" by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Terry Gou has been characterized as friendly to Mainland business interests during his political and business career.

In December 2022, Terry Gou was credited with helping to successfully lobby the Xi Jinping Administration to ease Zero-COVID rules implemented during the pandemic.

Terry Gou was born in Banqiao Township, Taipei County.

Terry Gou's parents lived in mainland China's Shanxi Province before the Chinese Civil War and fled to Taiwan in 1949.

Terry Gou's father was a policeman who fought on behalf of the Kuomintang during the war.

Terry Gou founded Foxconn, established as Hon Hai Precision Industry in Taiwan in 1974 with $7,500 in startup money and a workforce of ten elderly employees.

Terry Gou started off making plastic parts for television sets in a rented shed in Tucheng, a suburb of Taipei.

Terry Gou further expanded his business in the 1980s by embarking on an 11-month trip across the US in search of customers.

In 2019, Terry Gou argued that Apple should move its manufacturing out of China to Taiwan.

Terry Gou is the main owner of HMD Global, which is a company founded in 2016 to sell Nokia branded phones.

In December 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that a letter from Terry Gou helped convince the Chinese government to ease Zero-COVID restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Terry Gou first joined the Kuomintang in 1970, but allowed his membership to lapse after 2000.

From 2016, it was widely reported that Terry Gou was considering a 2020 Taiwanese presidential bid, and speculation continued into 2017.

On 17 April 2019, Terry Gou announced his intention to run in the Kuomintang primary for the 2020 presidential election.

Terry Gou declared that he had been instructed by the sea goddess Mazu in a dream to run as a candidate in the 2020 presidential election of the Republic of China.

On 12 September 2019, Terry Gou announced his withdrawal from the Kuomintang.

Four days later, Terry Gou stated that he would not participate in the 2020 presidential election as an independent candidate.

Terry Gou was offered the top position on the Taiwan People's Party party list for the 2020 legislative election, but declined such a bid.

In 2019, Terry Gou expressed misgivings about the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan, arguing that the Legislative Yuan did not respect the results of the 2018 referendum where a majority voted against legalization.

Terry Gou has been described as a friend of Donald Trump.

Terry Gou's position is that that Taiwan independence is not an issue.

Terry Gou is a supporter of the 1992 Consensus and has criticized the Democratic Progressive Party for political wordplay in their interpretation of the consensus which he voiced on his Instagram account.

In 2007, Terry Gou cited Genghis Khan as a personal hero.

Terry Gou reportedly wears a beaded bracelet procured at a temple dedicated to the Genghis Khan, which he wears on his right wrist.

In 2012, a controversy arose after Terry Gou compared Foxconn's workforce to animals during a board meeting.

Terry Gou founded an educational charity with Lin in 2000 and intended to eventually give away one third of his wealth to charity.

Also that year, Hsu Ching-wei accused Terry Gou of having an affair during the 1990s.

Terry Gou married his second wife, choreographer Delia Tseng on 26 July 2008.