Leslie Koo
| Leslie Koo Cheng-yun | |
|---|---|
| Born |
28 November 1954 Taiwan |
| Died | 23 January 2017 (aged 62) Taipei, Taiwan |
| Cause of death | Cerebral hemorrhage caused by a fall |
| Other names | Gu Chengyun |
| Alma mater | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Parent(s) | Koo Chen-fu |
| Relatives | Chester Koo (brother) |
Leslie Koo Cheng-yun (Chinese: 辜成允; pinyin: Gū Chéngyǔn; Wade–Giles: Ku Ch'eng-yün; 28 November 1954 – 23 January 2017) was a Taiwanese business executive and billionaire who served as Chairman of Taiwan Cement Corporation. He was the second son of the prominent businessman and diplomat Koo Chen-fu, and a member of the Lukang Koo clan, one of the five wealthiest families of Taiwan.
Born in Taiwan on 28 November 1954, Leslie Koo attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, graduating with a Master of Business Administration in 1981. After the death of his elder brother Chester in late 2001, Leslie took over the management of Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) in 2003. The company was at the time mired in NT$25 billion of debt because several risky investments made by Chester in the previous ten years had gone bad.
Over the objection of some board members, Koo decided to invest in mainland Chinese cement businesses, which helped the company to turn around and double its revenue in 13 years, making Taiwan Cement the world's 12th largest cement company and the 6th biggest in China. He was credited with saving the business.
Koo's net worth was estimated at US$1.2 billion. Despite his wealth, he reportedly flew economy class and ate at night markets.
In June 2003, Dayu Development Corporation, the Koo family's property subsidiary, was on the verge of insolvency and threatening the survival of the family business. To raise emergency funds, Leslie Koo needed to sell a parcel of land in Longtan District, Taoyuan owned by Dayu. He paid what he called a "commission" to an associate of the then first lady Wu Shu-chen, and in exchange President Chen Shui-bian arranged for the Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park to rent and then buy the parcel, which was incorporated into the Longtan Science Park.
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