Photo: Terry Gou / Credit: PAS China
Billionaire Terry Gou, the founder and chairman of Foxconn (world’s largest contract manufacturer of consumer electronics), has announced he is running for president of Taiwan. Gou is officially in the running of the 2020 election and he reportedly said that a sea goddess named Mazu asked him to step up for the people of Taiwan according to Business Insider.
Mazu (also known as Matsu) is a Taoist/Buddhist god that protects the seas. “I tell you, I am like a godson of Mazu, she thinks of me like a godson,” said Gou at a temple in Taipei earlier this week via Business Insider. Gou added that Mazu told him to “step up and make even more efforts for all the Mazu temples and all people of Taiwan.”
The presidential election in Taiwan comes at a time when the relationship between the island and China has become tense. China believes Taiwan is one of its territories, but the Taiwanese government considers themselves independent. And critics say that Gou has a close-knit relationship with China — which could hinder Taiwan’s independence. Gou has also spoken in favor of Taiwan having closer ties to China in the past.
Specifically, Gou is going to run in the Kuomintang party’s upcoming primary elections. And if he advances, then he will participate in Taiwan’s 2020 presidential race.
Foxconn is the main supplier for Apple iPhones. And this business has made Gou’s net worth over $7.5 billion based on Forbes’ estimates. This makes Gou the richest person in Taiwan.
